Feb. 07--YORK, Pa. --
Even though the York County Coroner's office has ruled the death of Howard Thomas Cook Jr. an accident, York County District Attorney Tom Kearney says the investigation is not complete.
"Any time there's a death, there's a concern," Kearney said. "And any time there's a death involving police, it's a concern. I just want to make sure we're thorough. It's important."
The coroner's office released its conclusions in Cook's Sept. 28 death while in the custody of York City Police, ruling the death accidental and saying Cook died as a result of "excited delirium with mixed drug toxicity during restraint."
Cook, 30, of York, died after he was chased by police on Sept. 28 when a car he was riding in was stopped for making an illegal left turn at the intersection of Belevdere Avenue and West Market Street. After a brief chase, city police officers subdued Cook with their stun guns, stunning him twice with the devices.
He became unresponsive in police custody and was pronounced dead later at York Hospital.
The coroner's office said drug tests showed that Cook had high levels of cocaine and heroin in his bloodstream at the time of his death. The coroner's office reported that pathologists performed the drug test twice to confirm the findings.
Cook had fled police after the car was stopped at the intersection of West and West Market streets. A police officer chasing him used his stun gun, which was ineffective in subduing Cook, police reported. He continued to resist arrest, and police said the officer "drive stunned" him, holding the stun gun directly against Cook's skin.
Police said Cook had several outstanding warrants for his arrest at the time.
Cook's family believed that his disabling asthma contributed to his death. The coroner's office cited his asthma but ruled it out as a direct cause of death.
The cause of death -- "excited delirium" -- is caused when adrenaline floods a person's system and causes the heart to lose its rhythm, the coroner's office reported. Such a condition could be exacerbated by the use of cocaine, a stimulant.
Whether the use of the stun gun contributed to Cook's death was ruled out. Studies, the coroner's office reported, have not shown a direct correlation between the use of a stun gun and cardiac-related fatalities.
Kearney said he still had some questions that needed to be answered, many related to "excited delirium," which he said he was unfamiliar with. His initial research indicated that it is recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians and that it is sometimes cited as a catch-all diagnosis intended to absolve police of using excessive force.
"I'm unsure what 'excited delirium' is," Kearney said. "I'm trying to decipher what the report means."
He also wanted to ask about the use of the stun guns. He said the U.S. Justice Department has concluded that there is no conclusive evidence that the use of such weapons poses a fatal risk. But still, Kearney said, he wanted to ask the pathologist whether the weapons' deployment played a role in Cook's death.
"At this point, based on what I've seen, I don't think the police acted inappropriately in using the devices," Kearney said.
He said he planned to speak to the pathologist who prepared the report. The doctor, though, is unavailable until next week, he said.
He also said he had some questions he wanted state police investigators to answer -- something Kearney referred to as routine.
"There's work yet to be done on this," he said. "I think it's important I'm thorough on this."
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Family, friends talk about Howard Cook Jr.
Copyright 2012 - York Daily Record, Pa.
