In the winter of 2002, a disturbance call in Little Rock, Arkansas, led to the untimely death of a dedicated police officer. Jack David Cooper, a 34-year-old male officer with the Little Rock Police Department, responded to a call on February 1, 2002, concerning a man who was reportedly causing a disturbance. Officer Cooper had been a member of the police force for 11 years, serving in the Northwest Patrol Division.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Cooper and another officer
encountered a male suspect. A struggle broke out between the officers and the man. During the altercation, the officers attempted to use pepper spray to subdue the individual, but it proved to be ineffective. In the ensuing struggle, the suspect managed to gain control of Officer Cooper's service weapon.
The suspect then used the officer's own handgun to shoot Officer Cooper in the head. In the immediate aftermath, the second officer on the scene returned fire, killing the suspect. Officer Cooper was quickly transported to a local hospital for treatment. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he succumbed to the severe gunshot wound the following day, on February 2, 2002.
The man who shot Officer Cooper was killed at the scene by the other officer present. Consequently, there were no arrests to be made in connection with Officer Cooper's death as the sole suspect was deceased. The incident left the Little Rock community and its police force mourning the loss of a respected officer.
