June 29, 2015 7:42 AM EDT
T he state trooper who shot and apprehended fugitive killer David Sweat has been hailed a “hero” by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Sgt. Jay Cook, a 21-year veteran and father-of-two, was part of the vast manhunt scouring the tough terrain of upstate New York for Sweat, one of the two convicted murderers who escaped their maximum security prison more than three weeks ago .
Speaking at a press conference after Sweat’s capture , Governor Cuomo said he “had the chance to speak with Sgt. Cook and congratulate him on his great police work.”
The governor said the officer should go home to …
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See the Path 2 Killers Took to Escape From a Maximum Security Prison Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the Clinton Correctional Facility, where two inmates escaped on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York A man-made hole in the wall of the escaped inmates' cell at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York The industrial area where inmates escaped to from a hole in their cell at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo surveys the manhole where two prisoners resurfaced after escaping from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York More Must-Reads from TIME Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris The 7 States That Will Decide the Election Why China Won’t Allow Single Women to Freeze Their Eggs Is the U.S. Ready for Psychedelics? The Rise of a New Kind of Parenting Guru The 50 Best Romance Novels to Read Right Now Can Food Really Change Your Hormones?