A convicted rapist who has evaded authorities for the past six days in a massive manhunt, was shot and killed by police early on Friday morning, NBC News has reported.
Floyd Ray Cook, a 62-year-old convict accused of shooting and killing a Tennessee traffic cop during a routine highway stop last Saturday, was finally cornered and fatally shot in Burkesville, Ky.
According to Bill Gregory, a Kentucky State Police trooper, officers were searching an area close to Burkesville when they came across the suspect.
"Cook had a handgun and gunfire was exchanged," said Gregory. "Cook was wounded and was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured."
The hunt for Cook started on Saturday afternoon, when he is said to have shot and killed a traffic police officer in Tennessee, according to ABC News, He then took off in a black truck.
An hour later, a Kentucky trooper identified the truck and tried to stop it in Cumberland County. Cook sped off, then ditched the truck and ran on foot. He shot at the trooper as he ran, before disappearing into the woods.
Since then, a swathe of area around Kentucky and Tennessee has been tense, with many residents afraid of the suspect who authorities had described as "armed, desperate and dangerous."
"I think they'll all breathe a little bit easier, knowing there's no longer a threat," said Gregory, adding that residents could now breathe a sigh of relief.
Cook was a rapist who was convicted in the 70s, according to CBS News. Even before he killed a cop, he was wanted by authorities in Marion County, Ky., for non-compliance with the registry for sex offenders.
