Spokane: Police Arrest Man Driving Stolen Construction Equipment
Washingtoner/10237951

~ On the morning of 11/03/23, Spokane Police Department (SPD) officers responded to a call at the 4400 block of East Trent on a trespass call. Upon arriving at the scene, officers encountered Matthew W. Cook (40) in a fenced outdoor area of the machinery business, where large equipment was stored. Despite police directives to exit, Cook had climbed up into an estimated 17,000 pound rubber tracked crawler and put it into gear. He then drove over the fence and proceeded to drive along railroad property.

Additional SPD officers arrived on scene, including one with knowledge of large machinery who noticed that the crawler did not have a lockable throttle. This meant that if Cook's hand came off the joystick, the crawler would stop. Fearing further harm to property or people due to the weight of the vehicle and Cook's non-compliance, an officer jumped onto the moving crawler and pulled his hand off of the joystick, bringing it to a stop.

More on Washingtoner

• New Research Reveals Gen Z Trusts Independent Sources Over Influencers — Exposing What We are Talker Calls "The Independent Validation Gap"
• City of Tacoma's Public Works Department Recognized by American Public Works Association
• New research identifies The Discovery Gap: Seven in 10 Americans say travel is no longer just about getting away
• PropAccount.com Adds Equities to Its Multi-Asset Prop Firm Platform, Opening the Door to the World's Largest Trading Market
• Ailias Launches Global Partner Programme for AI-Powered Conversational Digital Humans in Events and Experiences

Cook was arrested for 2nd Degree Burglary, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, and Felony Malicious Mischief and booked into Spokane County Jail. Julie Humphreys, Public Safety Communication Manager for SPD stated that officers responded within 3 minutes of receiving the call and were able to successfully apprehend Cook without any injuries or further damage being done. Video footage of this incident can be found at https://vimeo.com/881049129?share=copy along with related photos 1 & 2.

---

Show All News | Disclaimer | Report Violation