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James Cook Sentenced To Jail For Shooting A Deputy In 2015

“But now that’s it’s said and done I think all the victims, everyone involved in this case can now move forward,” says Corporal Fred Hasty.

A man is headed to prison for shooting a deputy.

That deputy says he wants to keep moving forward.

Back in May of 2015, James Cook stole two cars, then stole guns from a friend, breaking into a home to get them.

He then shot a deputy, starting a standoff with police.

Cook was sentenced to at least 39 years in prison at the Charlevoix County Courthouse Friday morning.

Charlevoix deputies, state troopers and Boyne City police lined the back of the courtroom.

Many of them were on duty that day.

It’s a day many of them find hard to forget, but Friday brought a sense of relief.

“Even though it’s altered my life and changed my life so much from that day, I am still here and I am not going to let it continue to change and alter my life,” says Charlevoix County Corporal, Bill Church.

It’s been a long ride for many of the officers who were on duty that night.

But it was Corporal Fred Hasty that took a bullet in his leg.

He says he’s moving forward, after many months on the mend.

9 and 10’s Megan Atwood and photojournalist Jeremy Erickson asked Corporal Hasty about the shooting and how he feels following the sentencing.

“I’m sorry sir. I’m sorry to your family. I’m sorry to all of your families. It’s no excuse,” apologizes James Cook, as his sentencing began.

An apology followed by the sentencing of James Cook brought some closure to many officers that Cook shot at back in May of 2015. But for Fred Hasty, who was shot, healing began months ago.

“You know you can move forward. And hopefully as time goes on quit thinking about it and it will just help that the system has worked and the case is just done now,” begins Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Corporal Fred Hasty.

Hasty took a bullet to his upper leg, a shot that shattered the bones connecting his leg to his hip. But he says it’s looking at life with a glass half full that has made him stronger.

Hasty continues, “It has helped with my career. Makes you pay a little closer attention to your surroundings. You train for it for your entire career because you try to expect the unexpected but in northern Michigan when you’re not faced with these types of incidents continually, you tend to let your guard down a little bit.”

Although it was painful, he says quitting his job never once crossed his mind.

“My intent through the entire time was to get back to work. To finish my career. So that pushed me. It gave me the drive to move forward and not dwell on what happened but rather dwell on how to fix it,” Hasty goes on to say.

Hasty says he knows for many of the other officers and family members in the court room on Friday, this sentencing was the closure they needed.

“There’s a lot of victims in this cases not just me. There’s other officers, family members, homeowners, property owners. And it’s been a long process,” Hasty concludes.

James Cook will spend up to 39 years in prison.

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