Esther I. Brown
dynamic, detail-oriented creativeC-VILLE Issue #18.16
Issue #18.16 :: 04/18/2006 – 04/24/2006
Courts & Crime
Cooke Faces 10 Years
Paralyzed suspect says he didn’t know Ingo was K-9
The trail is underway for Robert Lee Cooke, the Goochland man charged with maliciously shooting an Albemarle County police dog while the dog was in the line of duty.
On Tuesday, April 11, Commonwealth’s Attorney James Camblos described how, early on the morning of October 24, 2004, K-9 officer Andy Gluba and his German Shepherd, Ingo, responded to a burglary in progress at 1074 Reservoir Rd. Cooke fled the scene on foot. Gluba and Ingo pursued him, and in the shoot-out that ensued, Cooke shot Ingo through the spine, paralyzing the dog’s rear legs.
In spite of his injuries, Camblos said, Ingo continued to struggle toward Cooke in an effort to apprehend him. Cooke was subsequently shot and apprehended by Officer Gluba. A decision was made to put Ingo down several hours after the incident. Cooke’s injuries have left him paralyzed from the waist down.
At press time the defense was arguing that Cooke acted in self-defense when he shot Ingo, and that he didn’t know Ingo was a police dog.
Gluba confirmed that Ingo was wearing neither his police-issue bullet proof vest nor his badge. However, he maintained that he told Cooke to stop, warning him that he would send his dog after him should he continue to run. Camblos also said that Cooke should have heard Ingo barking from the open window of Gluba’s police car as he passed it. Cooke said he never heard any barking, and that he hadn’t intended to shoot Ingo; rather he hoped the sound of the gunshots would slow the dog down.
Closing arguments have been scheduled for Thursday, April 20. If convicted of what would be his fifth felony, Cooke faces up to 10 years in prison.
– Esther Brown
