A Hopkinsville man has been arrested in connection with a robbery and other incidents last month in Madisonville.
The warrant against 44-year old Earl Cook of Hopkinsville is for first-degree robbery, kidnapping of an adult, possession of a handgun by a felon, first-degree burglary and falsely reporting an incident.
It alleges that at about 5:50 p.m. on January 5, Cook entered the Chinese Market in Madisonville and forced a victim inside to the back of the store. Police say he struck the woman multiple times with a handgun and ripped a key ring off her belt.
He forced her onto a loveseat and bound her legs and arms before fleeing the business.
Shortly before that, Cook pulled on the front door at a bank, but wasn’t able to get in due to COVID protocols.
He reportedly called 911 prior to going to the bank and falsely claimed that several men were fighting at Rural King and that shots had been fired.