Arrest Story Won’t Stop Candidate [VIDEO]

, a candidate for mayor of Concord, knew that his past criminal violations would get out into the public sphere at some point. He just didn’t know that they would be plastered all over the front page of the local newspaper or that when he spoke to the reporter writing the story, not all of his side of the situation would be published.

On Sept. 26, the Concord Monitor reported that during the last six and half years, Cook had been arrested or taken into protective custody three times. During these incidents, he was charged with disorderly conduct and other charges. The charges led to either guilty and no contest pleas, and various fines. In the newspaper article, extensive details of the cases, drawn from the testimony of , were published, something that Cook said upset him, especially since the reporter did not publish his explanations.

Sitting in his leaf-cloaked front yard just hours after the newspaper hit front steps across Concord, Cook lamented about his previous altercations with law enforcement but said he wasn’t going to stop what he started.

“I’d have to be a fool to think that this wouldn’t come up, before I started running,” he said. “What I’ve done here, by setting myself out, in a way, I’ve risked my whole way of life and business for this. I’d rather be judged by the citizens rather than one entity, whether it be law enforcement, the court system or (the newspaper).”

In one of the incidents, Cook claims the police would not allow him to put his ski pants back on before being handcuffed, taken into protective custody, and placed in a cruiser, a recounting that Cook claimed the reporter left out of his side of the story. He was angered and humiliated by the actions of the police, arresting him outside of his home when he was doing no one any harm and should have just been left alone.

“I took my pants off because they said, ‘Take your pants off,’” he said. “Then, they started harassing me, as I was trying to enter my house. When they put me in handcuffs, they took away my ability to protect myself … people shouldn’t be afraid of the police. People shouldn’t be afraid of the government.”

In the old days, Cook would have been worried or nervous about bad press because he was working for others and would not want to embarrass them. But now, being semi-retired, he only has to worry about himself.

“I don’t have a boss now,” he said. “All I have is me. I have friends and family, but I’ve lived alone since 1980 in this town. I’ve been in this house since 1976 ... I bought it and started working on this house, when no one else would. I’m not afraid of anything. I’m just myself.”

Since the article was published, friends and neighbors have shown Cook support. During an interview outside his home, people stopped by, expressing disappointment in the tenor of the article and offered to work on his campaign, stating that Cook’s basic point, that the city needed to be shaken up a bit, still mattered.

“This is what it’s really all about,” Cook said. “It’s about community … having a good place to live. It’s not anybody’s fault, we just don’t have the community gel. We don’t have the togetherness. Everybody’s time is so sucked up now with TV, sports, jobs … I’m not even sure if the city is set up so it allows the council to function like it would like to.”

His experience with the police, he said, showed the need for them to be more courteous, especially when they might not know what is going on in any situation. He said this, and the lack of communication within city government and its citizenry, were key reasons that he was running for mayor, to improve things. One suggestion, Cook said, was to hold council meetings outside of the normal 7 p.m. time on Mondays.

“A wise man seeks wise counsel,” he said. “It shouldn’t be an adversarial thing. It should be a joint community thing, with a spirit of cooperation. Talking, talking, talking, talking …”