A Georgia deputy landed himself behind bars in a Florida jail after he hijacked someone’s beach tent at a resort, threatened to stab multiple beachgoers, and then refused to cooperate when police were called.
Christopher Cook resigned from his position at the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office in northwest Georgia after he was taken into custody while on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
On July 11, someone called 911 from the Regency Towers rental condominiums in PCB to report that a man was sitting in their beach chair under their tent and refused to move, according to police reports cited by the Miami Herald and WSB-TV.
Dispatchers were also told that the man had threatened to stab multiple people, but that no one saw any weapons on him.
When a Bay County sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene, he encountered Cook sitting in the chair. The deputy explained that Cook couldn’t sit in a chair purchased by someone else, but the 46-year-old remained where he was.
After other deputies were called to the condos and failed to get Cook to move on his own, they tried to take him into custody.
Deputies say that Cook resisted arrest and pushed one officer’s arm to try to get away, began to jerk his arms away, and tucked them underneath him to prevent being handcuffed.
Once deputies successfully cuffed Cook, he then proceeded to tell them his name was “John Doe.”
Deputies spoke with the victim, who said Cook broke two beach chairs and also drank a $15 alcoholic slushy the victim bought.
Witnesses also reported that Cook harassed a family sitting with their children, who dialed 911. Then, Cook walked down to the beach and started threatening to stab multiple people.
As deputies drove Cook to the Bay County Jail, they say he tried to slip out of his handcuffs. A deputy noticed and stopped the patrol car and asked another deputy to make sure Cook hadn’t gotten free.
It wasn’t until they got to the jail that they discovered a handcuff key on Cook. Deputies also reviewed footage from inside the patrol car showing him trying to unlock his handcuffs.
He’s been charged with theft, resisting arrest, possession of a concealed handcuff key while in custody (a felony), providing false ID to a law enforcement officer, and disorderly conduct.
