Scott City man pleads guilty to shooting at Cape police officers in Jan. 18 chase

A Scott City man pleaded guilty to one Class X felony count Tuesday in an ongoing Alexander County, Illinois, criminal case related to a Jan. 18 police pursuit beginning in Cape Girardeau and ending near McClure, Illinois.

Cameron W. Cook

Cameron W. Cook, 25, of Scott City entered an open plea of guilt to one of the three Class X felony counts filed against him for aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to court filings. The other two Class X felony charges were dismissed as per conditions of Cook’s plea, which was knowingly and voluntarily made, according to court documents.

Charging documents were filed in criminal cases against Cook and Charles A. Franz after the Jan. 18 police chase. Court documents identify Franz as the driver of the suspect vehicle, which rammed a Cape Girardeau officer’s patrol vehicle, and Cook as the passenger who fired a long rifle at pursuing peace officers.

The state agreed to cap its recommended sentence to 15 years, and a sentencing hearing is set for 1 p.m. June 4 in Alexander County.

Cook and Franz remain in Illinois under the custody of law enforcement. Current court filings list the next hearings in the criminal case against Franz will be a March 31 pretrial, followed by an April 21 jury trial.