KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Funeral arrangements have not yet been released for a Kent County Sheriff's deputy who died from complications of COVID-19. Both Deputy Dave Cook's colleagues and those he connected with in the field shared their meaningful experiences with him.
Deputy Cook passed away Monday, Nov. 1st, 2021. He had been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit and was on a ventilator before he passed.
In remembering Deputy Cook, one letter sticks out to Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young who was sent by someone the patrol officer had arrested for irregular driving a few years ago. She read that letter at a news conference Tuesday.
"I was overwhelmed by the number of 'Thank You' cards that were in Dave's file. As I read through it again, this morning, I'm going to read you an excerpt from one," she says. "'At some point, you kindly gave me a card and circled a phone number on it to A.A. When I got home the next morning, the first call I made was to A.A. and I have been regularly attending meetings ever since. Officer Cook, your act of kindness changed my life.'"
His partner Deputy Tim Erhardt says Deputy Cook made an impact on him too, encouraging him to complete the Field Training Officer Program.
"He never called in sick, never shirked a call. He would show up as a second, third, fourth officer on the scene of a big call and he would just attack it," he says. "And I would call him all the time like, 'Hey, Dave, I was stuck in the school for all that time. I don't remember how to do this. I don't remember how to do that.' He was wonderful to work with. Just wonderful."
Deputy Erhardt says Deputy Cook wasn't just all business all the time though.
"He's not around to get in trouble anymore," he said with a laugh. "They would call radio stations on shift to win concert tickets. And he would go park somewhere when he knew the time was coming, and he would get on his phone and he would dial and redial and redial, redial."
He says Deputy Cook would win concert tickets for himself and his friends, and Deputy Erhardt says his partner will truly be missed by many.
"Dave was my brother. He was my friend. I'm going to miss him," he says.
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