South Dakota prosecutors on Monday charged a Sioux Falls man with first-degree murder and aggravated fleeing in the death of a deputy who was struck with a spike during a police pursuit.
Joseph Gene Hook, 40, was ordered held without bail at his first court appearance in the death of Moody County Chief Deputy Ken Prolock, 51, of Wentworth, who died during a chase Friday. Ta.
Jeffrey Collers, a special agent with the South Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said in a court filing Sunday that those close to Mr. Hook said he was on a “downward spiral” marked by escalating drug use and threats of violence. He said he was falling into a situation.
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South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is personally prosecuting the case. He said he must examine mitigating factors and then speak with Prolock’s family, as well as the sheriff and his deputies, before deciding whether to seek the death penalty.
“I believe the attorney general should lead the way, and I’ve always tried to do that,” Jackley told The Associated Press. “Especially when it involves law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Hook’s lawyer, Manuel de Castro, told the AP that his first impression was that Hook was “overcharged” and that he “has some mental health issues that need to be investigated.” However, he said he was still gathering information.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is seen leaving the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on April 17, 2018. South Dakota prosecutors have charged a man with murder and aggravated escape after killing a chief deputy during a high-speed car chase. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
“I know it’s an emotional case for everyone involved, but we’ll start there,” he said.
Kollers wrote that Madison police responded Friday afternoon to a call about a man who identified himself as Hook making “murder threats” near the caller’s place of work. Officers spotted his car and tried to stop it, but Hook sped off on Highway 34 toward Interstate 29, police said.
Pursuit speeds reached 115 mph. Prolock stopped to deploy stop spikes across Highway 34. However, witnesses saw the oncoming car intentionally swerve and hit the chief deputy before plowing into a ditch and overturning, investigators wrote. Hook fled on foot. The witness chased Hook, ran him over, and restrained Hook until officers arrived, according to the filing.
Prolock died at the scene. Mr Phuc was taken to the hospital for examination, but his injuries were not serious.
Kollers wrote that he interviewed Hook after he waived his right to remain silent. The agent wrote that Hook told the caller that he had gone to borrow money and collect money.
“When Hook was told that his actions and decisions had resulted in the death of a deputy sheriff, he responded that he did not believe me,” investigators wrote. But Mr Hook has problems with anxiety and panic attacks, which sometimes affect his memory, his agent said.
Investigators who searched the vehicle found suspected THC e-cigarettes, suspected marijuana paraphernalia and a “blunt object,” and containers of cold medicine, investigators wrote. Apparently, bonbons and an unopened bottle of liquor were found outside the car.
When asked about drugs, Hook told authorities that he was suffering from pain and had obtained the prescribed narcotic painkiller hydrocodone during several visits to the emergency room. But he said many doctors refused him the medicine he wanted. He said he had used medical marijuana for anxiety “a few days ago” and was also prescribed the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, but he could not remember the last time he used it.
Phuc also said he had been kicked out of several relatives’ homes, but did not say why.
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The person who called police told investigators that Phuc was a “family friend” and that he had “started to be scared of him” and “recently had been acting strangely,” which led to him being banned from contact and trespassing last month. A restraining order was obtained, investigators wrote.
Hook’s mother told investigators that she believed her son “had mental health issues and was self-medicating,” but that she was smart enough to fool the mental health professionals who were evaluating her son. He said he would soon be released without any assistance. She also said he was addicted to dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant that is sometimes abused.
One source said Hook’s “downward spiral” escalated after he obtained a protection order last month, with him becoming “increasingly physically violent.”
