Metra police officer fatally shot in south suburb of Harvey
Metra offers reward for information
By Evelyn Holmes
September 28, 2006 (HARVEY, Ill.) - Police are seeking the gunman in the fatal shooting of an on-duty Metra police officer at a rail station in south suburban Harvey late Wednesday night.
The officer -- 40-year-old Thomas Cook -- was found shot to death in his patrol car in a lot across the street from the Sibley Boulevard station on Metra's Electric line (at 147th and Clinton Streets). Cook -- who was one of the rail services' full-time police officers -- was conducting surveillance because of a recent rash of robberies targeting commuters when he was killed.
Timothy Hoye, 18, and Antoine Lee, 18, were released from police custody after several hours of questioning about the deadly attack.
"We heard gunshots on the back porch. We took out the trash and saw that his car was just sitting there. It looked like a body was lying next to the car," said Timothy Hoye, questioned by police.
The two teens were picked up moments after the shooting.
"We were sitting there smoking a couple cigarettes, we heard a couple gunshots. It looked like somebody was over there so we went over there to see if that was a body. But it wasn't. So we looked in the car, we seen the man just slumped over," said Antoine Lee, questioned by police.
Parents of the 18-year-olds remain outraged over how the boys were treated.
"If they're not murder suspects why take a DNA samples from them. And they took his shoes. His mom went to find them and now nobody can find his shoes. How can he get his property back to him? It is wrong," said Diana Hoye, parent.
Flags are flying at half staff at the Riverdale Police Department where Cook was a memember of the police force.
"He had been a police officer on our force since February 2003 and prior to that he served on the Riverdale police force since 1993. So a very experienced officer and the first officer Metra lost in the line of duty," said Judy Pardonnet, Metra spokesperson.
Metra is offering $25,000 reward to anyone who can give them information leading to the arrest of the suspect responsible for the murder of Cook.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
