A Florida sheriff’s deputy was caught on camera going through the home of a dying Hurricane Irma victim.
Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy Jason Cooke is now facing charges for armed burglary and grand theft of a controlled substance.
via Complex:
The footage, captured by the home’s security system, shows Cooke searching through drawers and cabinets roughly 90 minutes after 85-year-old Moe Rosoff had been transported to a nearby hospital. Cooke admitted to stealing multiple pills of the painkiller Tramadol. Later, investigators found additional stolen medications in Cooke’s vehicle. Officials had initially been called to the Rosoff residence at the request of his children. Rosoff, who had fallen and suffered a head injury during a power outage, later died at the hospital.
“We were outraged and disgusted when we viewed this,” the Rosoff family told the Sun Sentinel. “In our opinion, had we not had this video, this cop would still be out there posing a threat of danger to the community he swore to protect and committing more crimes.” Following release of the video, Cooke resigned.
The Rosoff family has criticized the weeks-long delay in Cooke’s arrest. The footage was reportedly shared with the sheriff’s office mere days after the Sept. 12 incident. Cooke, however, wasn’t arrested until last week. Authorities have since clarified that Cooke was in an undisclosed rehab center but was “immediately arrested” upon checkout. In addition to house arrest, Cooke has been court-ordered to continue a substance abuse treatment program. Cooke is also alleged to have stolen jewelry and money from Rosoff’s home.
You can watch the surveillance footage for yourself below.
