SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — A transit employee came to the rescue of an El Cajon police officer who was assaulted earlier this week and now she is telling her story.
Good Samaritan Iesha Booker, an MTS employee, witnessed the officer get punched unconscious - allegedly by 42-year-old Daniel Cook inside the KFC on Fletcher Parkway on Monday.
Booker says Cook continued to punch the 28-year veteran officer even after he was knocked out.
After the attack Booker grabbed the officers radio to call for help.
The attack started Monday morning when Cook was allegedly caught on camera stealing soda from a Dollar Tree Store on Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. He then walked out and over to the KFC nearby where he allegedly stole more soda.
That's when the officer walked up to Cook to talk and when Cook allegedly knocked out the officer.
Police were able to take him into custody after shocking him with a stun gun.
Wednesday was supposed to be Cooks' first court appearance, but he refused to come out of jail.
Cook is being held without bail in Downtown jail on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, mayhem, robbery, and being under the influence of meth.
He has a criminal record dating back to 2001 when he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and making a terrorist threat.
In 2014, he served time for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse.
And in 2017 he was convicted of resisting/deterring an officer with threat/violence.
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