Sedalia Man Arrested After Standoff

Sedalia Police arrested 42-year-old Michael Cook, of Sedalia, early this morning after an hour and a half standoff in Liberty Park. Sedalia Police responded to Liberty Park for a report of shots fired and man was on the bridge of the lagoon with a rifle. Sedalia Police arrived, around midnight (July 11), and a standoff began. According to Sedalia Police, Michael Cook appeared intoxicated and enraged and demanded to talk with his ex-girlfriend and daughter.

Michael Cook appeared to have a weapon on him and would not give up. Michael Cook did not surrender for an hour and a half, when he began to walk from the bridge while armed. Sedalia Police were able to sneak behind him and tazed Cook to disarm him, without injury to him or officers in the area. Pettis County Deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers assisted Sedalia Police in apprehending Cook.
Investigators found that the firearm was a fake and was manufactured earlier in the day. The firearm appeared to be a weapon, since it was made from an old rifle stock and a metal pipe.

In addition to the standoff, Sedalia Police found that Cook made the original false report of shots fired to trigger the standoff. Cook was medically cleared and transported to the Pettis County Jail, where he is on 24-hour hold.
Cook faces charges of assault on a law enforcement officer in the 2nd degree, unlawful use of a weapon, false report to police, resisting felony arrest and making a terroristic threat.