william cooper's death

November 6, 2001

On Nov 5, 2001 at 11: 40 pm, Apache County Sheriff's deputies attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a known felon, William Milton Cooper, (58 years of age) at his residence located at 96 North Clearview Circle in Eagar AZ. Cooper was considered armed and dangerous. During the execution of this warrant, Cooper was fatally shot by deputies after he shot and struck a sheriff's deputy.

Members of the Apache County Sheriff's Office deployed several deputies in the area adjacent to Cooper's home in an attempt to draw him from his residence to serve an arrest warrant. After leaving his residence in his vehicle, Cooper confronted plainclothes deputies a short distance away. As Cooper drove back to his residence, Sheriff's deputies attempted to stop him using a fully marked patrol vehicle to block the roadway.

Cooper refused to stop or comply with verbal orders issued by deputies. Cooper drove around the patrol vehicle off the roadway and attempted to run over a sergeant before heading back to his residence. Cooper was followed a short distance to the front of his residence where he was again confronted by uniformed deputies. After refusing once again to comply with orders from deputies, Cooper exited his vehicle and ran toward his house, firing shots from a handgun towards deputies. Deputy Robert Marinez of the Apache County Sheriff's Office was struck in the head by at least one round. Deputies returned fire striking and fatally wounding Cooper.

Deputy Marinez was transported by ground ambulance to the White Mountain Regional Medical Center and then flown to a Trauma Unit in Phoenix. Deputy Marinez was last reported to be in critical condition.

Deputy Marinez has served as a law enforcement officer for 4 years and was serving as a tactical officer at the time of the shooting. His experience also includes patrol and criminal investigation. Deputy Marinez is 40 years old and has served as a United States Marine during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Deputy Marinez is married with three children.

Cooper threatened to kill law enforcement personnel and made those threats known through the use of his web site, radio station and personal messages. Cooper has a history of harassing and threatening local residents with deadly force. He recently was charged with aggravated assault and endangerment. Cooper was also wanted by the United States Marshall's Office for unrelated felony charges.

Following the shooting, the scene was secured by officers from the Eagar Police Department and Apache County Sheriff's Deputies. The Arizona Department of Public Safety's Special Investigations Unit is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting at the request of the Eagar Police Department and the Apache County Sheriff's Office. DPS Special Operations Units were called to the scene to clear the residence of any potential hazards that may exist.

For further information contact:

Sheriff Brian Hounshell, Apache County Sheriff's Office (928) or (520) 337-4321

Chief Scott Garms, Eagar Police Department (928) or (520) 333-4127

-------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------ ------------

This from Cooper's website: https: //williamcooper.com/

Updated: Tuesday, November 6th, 2001, 2: 20 PM

In Loving

Memory

With a deep sense of loss and mourning we announce the passing of William Cooper.

It appears at this time to be totally unrelated to the disputes he had with the federal government. All we know at this time is that he was shot and killed by an Apache County Sheriff around 12: 15 AM this morning while serving of an arrest warrant on a local issue. A sheriff was also wounded.

Remain Calm! This is in no way a cause for action, but all patriots should be on high alert at this time.

Do NOT listen to or spread undocumented and unconfirmed RUMORS! If it is not here it is not confirmed as fact. Updates will be posted here as they become available.

We MUST all remember his love of freedom, America, the Constitution and the values it is founded on.

Individuals and Organizations Supporting Communist Party

Taken verbatim from the website of the Communist Party USA

http: //www.williamcooper.com/commy.htm

From: M.O.M. <[email protected] Tuesday, November 06, 2001 2: 31 PM

At 1: 00 p. m. mountain time Nov. 6th We received a call from Officer Frank Valenzuela from Az. Dept of Public Safety, This call came to us as a result of our calling the sheriffs office to confirm that this incident had happened, he informed us that this level of entrapment for Mr. Cooper started at 11: 40 p. m. mt. time Nov. 5th 2001 by luring Bill Cooper away from his home which sat on top of a hillside in the community of Edgar Az his physical address was 96 North Clearview Circle , Edgar, Az. The departments of Edgar and Apache law enforcement were working together. They claimed that they had gone out to serve 3 felony warrants, pertaining to someone having had a semi-automatic pistol drawn on them by Bill Cooper. At this time we do not have that info as to whom that was who filed a complaint. Officers deliberately caused a ruckus to get this man away from his home to create this entrapment He went down the hill away from his home to the automobile to see what the ruckus was, it was 2 law officers in plain clothes. He spoke to them then got back in his car to go back up to his house, when out from hiding came a patrol car that blocked his return to his home. He put his hands on the car window as we assume that is what he was ordered to do as they approached his car he pulled out to get around the car. He got out of his and tried to run for his home, shots were fired he returned fire hitting one officer in the head twice, whom is in surgery in St Joe's hospital. The other officer continued to fire until Cooper was dead. Please keep in mind this report was given to us by the sheriffs office and here are their numbers. . 928-333-5580, 1-800-352-1850 This is the man that authored the book Behold The Pale Horse, he was also battling the IRS, he also was a well known radio talk show host. We here at MOM have a problem with this report. MOM

Here is a report from Michelle Marie Moore:

From: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 7: 12 PM

Subject: I-P: Cooper's death UNRELATED to warrants

Dear Folks:

It will be extremely easy for people to get worked up about this situation. But please understand that Bill Cooper's death was UNRELATED to any of the federal warrants pending for his arrest.

His own website, run by his trusted webmaster:

http: //williamcooper.com

says as much. Here is the text of the current announcement:

- - - - - - - - - - - Updated: Tuesday, November 6th, 2001, 2: 20 PM

In Loving Memory

With a deep sense of loss and mourning we announce the passing of William Cooper.

It appears at this time to be totally unrelated to the disputes he had with the federal government. All we know at this time is that he was shot and killed by an Apache County Sheriff around 12: 15 AM this morning while serving of an arrest warrant on a local issue. A sheriff was also wounded.

Remain Calm! This is in no way a cause for action, but all patriots should be on high alert at this time.

Do NOT listen to or spread undocumented and unconfirmed RUMORS! If it is not here it is not confirmed as fact. Updates will be posted here as they become available.

We MUST all remember his love of freedom, America, the Constitution and the values it is founded on.

We also have this report from the old man -- (whose name I cannot recall off the top of my head) -- who runs the Eagar, Arizona weekly newspaper. He publishes it out of his dining room. It is the only paper published in Eagar. I have met this man myself. Bill introduced me to him the last time I was in Arizona. The old guy is deeply patriotic and would neither make up a story, nor embellish it, nor diminish it. He just always tells things as he sees them.

Before anyone makes too big of a deal out of this incident, you might as well know what the people on the ground in Eagar are saying. Here is the small bit of info from the local news guy:

Apparently, Cooper had gone into town and was waving his gun around. He'd gone off the handle for some reason or something and the local police figured they had to do something before he ended up hurting someone.

This I find *completely* believable. I knew Cooper extremely well. We worked together VERY closely for several years. I saw him at his best, and I saw him at his worst. And I saw his volatility, the times when he was drunk and disorderly, the times when he behaved irresponsibly, . . . . . all of those ugly things that make up "real life. " I also saw him noble and selfless and giving.

But Bill did have a dark and uncontrollable side. No question about it. This does not mean that he was not a good patriot, or that he did not teach and help a lot of people. I'm sure he did.

But to turn this death -- which was so needless and for nothing -- into a martyrdom, or to say that the feds did it, is unrealistic and irresponsible. It is also irresponsible to even suggest that the militias "do something about it. " I'm sorry, but the circumstances that can be clarified about the situation simply do not merit ANY response other than sympathy to his family. And it is irresponsible for the Sierra Times to claim that Bill's death was the result of a SWAT raid. This was simply not the case.

From all that can be known locally at the scene at this time, the situation was nothing more than Bill out of control in a public place while armed.

And if you've ever been around Bill when he is out of control, you'd call the cops, too. Believe me! You would! Bill out of control is dangerous. Bill out of control with his handgun is deadly. That's the truth. Any one who ever knew him closely will absolutely confirm this.

In this situation, we'll probably find that the police acted responsibly, and Bill, for all his good points and bad, died for nothing.

Michele Marie Moore Author, "Oklahoma City: Day One"