On Friday, January 10, a Tennessee man named Benjamin Cook was arrested after allegedly shooting at a family that was playing in the snow. The family consisted of the parents and their four children, who were sledding when they heard the shots coming from a Birchwood Pike house. Cook was charged with six counts of aggravated assault.
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According to the
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, the family, which has remained unnamed, went out to play in the snow on Friday morning. At around 11:30 a.m., when the family was sledding, they heard several gunshots. These came from a house on a hill "near the 10400 block of Birchwood Pike." The mother reportedly saw snow fly up from the ground, which was dangerously close to where his one-year-old son was at the moment.It was then that the family spotted Benjamin Cook and shouted at him to stop shooting at them. Cook, however, replied that they were on his property, which according to the family, they were not. To avoid any further incidents as a result of the ensuing confrontation, the family gathered their things and returned to their residence. Immediately, they contacted authorities.
Cook Arrested
Deputies then arrived at the 10400 block of Birchwood Pike and spoke to Benjamin Cook. They were able to determine that Cook was the man behind the shots. This is thanks to a neighbor who provided a picture of Cook. Said picture depicted Cook with matching clothes and a rifle on his back, walking through the woods. Police arrested Cook and charged him with six counts of aggravated assault.
Following his arrest, deputies obtained a search warrant for the Cook residence. Inside, authorities found several other rifles. Moreover, further investigations concluded that the family was not on Cook's property as he had previously suggested.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Cook was being held at the Hamilton County jail. His bond was set at $10,000 and his next court appearance is scheduled for February 10. Local 13 News revealed that Cook had a previous arrest record that began back in the '80s. Cook's charges include assault, harassment, vandalism, and possession of drug paraphernalia, among other unnamed charges.
