Back in June 1988, Kentucky Department of Corrections records show Cook was serving a life sentence for first-degree rape at the maximum-security section of the Kentucky State Penitentiary, when he broke out with seven others in one of the biggest prison breaks in state history.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshall’s Service Fugitive Task Force are now actively assisting with the search for a man wanted for attempted murder of an officer. Whether Cook now has a companion and a pickup truck were among leads being pursued. That is where investigators say Cook shot an officer after a traffic stop.
Officer Valencia, who was wearing a protective vest at the time of the shooting, was treated and released from Cookeville Regional Medical Center later that same evening.
Sources close to the officer say he is doing well, that his physical condition is improving and that he may soon be ready to return to active duty. Police raided a home in Burkesville, Kentucky, overnight looking Floyd Ray Cook, but the shooting suspect wasn’t there.
Cook is accused of wounding the Tennessee officer during a traffic stop Saturday in Putnam County.
Superintendent Dr. Frank Till Jr. says he doesn’t want students waiting for buses in rural areas while Floyd Ray Cook is still on the loose. He is six feet tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds.
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If you see Cook’s vehicle, police are urging you to not approach but to call the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 931-528-8484.
