February 26, 2010 – Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen named Officer Robert Cook the December 2009 Officer of the Month. Officer Cook has been with the Knoxville Police Department since August 2008.
Chief Owen said that on December 26, 2009, Officer Cook responded to an attempted rape call in the parking lot of a department store on Clinton Highway. According to the victim, she had walked her shopping cart to her vehicle where she placed her bags into the trunk before returning the cart to the store. While returning to her vehicle she noticed the suspect had pulled his truck extremely close to her vehicle. The victim indicated she had to turn sideways to try to enter her door.
Chief Owen said, “When the victim turned sideways, the suspect reached out the window with one hand and pinned the victim against her car while fondling her with his other hand. The victim fought to free herself and ran to the passenger side of her vehicle where she attempted to get in. After she realized the car was locked, she ran into the store to seek help.”
The victim along with evidence recovered from the scene provided a good description of the suspect and of his Mazda pick-up truck. When Officer Cook left the store’s parking lot he drove south on Clinton Highway to check out the parking lot of a nearby strip club. As Officer Cook pulled into the parking lot, he noticed the suspect’s vehicle with the suspect still sitting inside the truck. Officer Cook detained the suspect (Kevin Montgomery, DOB 12-27-70) for questioning by Investigator Steve Still. The victim was shown a photo lineup where she picked out Montgomery as her attacker. Montgomery was charged with one count of Sexual Battery and was transported to the Knox County Intake Facility and held on a $30,000.00 bond.
Chief Owen said, “Due to his extensive follow-up investigation and attention to detail, Officer Cook was able to remove a sexual predator from the streets.”
Mayor Haslam said, “We commend Officer Cook for his actions to identify, locate, and arrest this dangerous person. We thank him for a job well done.”
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