LODD- P.O. Thomas Cook- Metra (Transit) PD 9-27-06

[Truck4 48]

HARVEY, Ill. -- A Metra police officer was shot and killed Wednesday night near the commuter rail system's 147th Street station in Harvey.

Thomas A. Cook, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene at 333 E. 147th Pl. in Harvey at 11:50 p.m., according to a spokesman with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Metra officials said the slaying occurred across the street from Metra's Electric Line station at 147th and Clinton streets, and that it is the first slaying of an officer in the agency's 43-year history.

NBC5's Lisa Tutman reproted that Cook was sitting in a marked Metra vehicle in a parking lot near the station when he was shot in the back of the head.

Eric Lee, who spotted Cook slumped over at the wheel of the car, told Tutman that he shouted several times, "Officer, are you alright?"

He said he immediately called 911.

Metra officials would not say how many officers were working in the area last night, but Tutman said they did concede that they have seen an increase in crime near this platform.

"We've had increased patrols in this area in working directly with the Harvey Police Department, due to the increase that we noticed sometime last summer when we had several assaults and robberies," said Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet.

Cook had been with Metra Police for two years. Prior to that, the married father of two was a Riverdale police officer, according to Harvey and Riverdale police sources.

"He was a very experienced officer," Pardonnet said. "It's a very tragic day for us and for his family."

Police were investigating and said that no one was in custody as of noon Thursday.