Durham officer fires shot at mall

DURHAM -- A Durham officer fired a shot at a shoplifting suspect outside Northgate Mall on Thursday evening in an attempt to stop the man from running over a Durham County sheriff's deputy with a vehicle, police said.

A Sears loss prevention officer told Northgate security that a man had taken a 343-piece Craftsman tool set, valued at $700, and placed it near an exit, said Kim Walker, Durham police spokeswoman. Officers encountered the suspect, identified as Mark Howard Rook, 42, of Hillsborough, about 9 p.m. in the store's parking lot.

With the large tool set under his arm and ignoring commands by officers to stop, Rook got into his vehicle and began driving, Walker said. The Durham officer, fearing the deputy was in danger of being hit by the vehicle, fired a shot, Walker said. She said that she did not know where the bullet went but that no one was injured.

The department would not release the name of the officer who fired the shot.

Under Durham Police Department policy, officers are not permitted to shoot at a moving vehicle "except in those situations where the immediate probability of serious injury or death exists for the officer(s) and/or an innocent third party." That policy also says officers must believe that using deadly force is the only way to protect themselves and others in a situation.

About an hour later, officers apprehended Rook in a wooded area near where the Durham Freeway intersects with Interstate 85. Rook faces multiple charges, including larceny, driving with a revoked license and assault with a deadly weapon on a government official.

Rook's extensive criminal record includes multiple shoplifting and larceny convictions. He was released from prison last month after serving more than a year for larceny.

The department's Professional Standards Division will review the officer's actions, which is standard every time an officer discharges a handgun.