Arthur Cooke Obituary, Man dies after being attack by swarm of ATV and dirt bike riders in Harlem

Arthur Cooke Obituary, Death – A man died two weeks after his car was surrounded by 30 ATVs in an assault and carjacking after a fender bender. Around 10 p.m. on Nov. 4, 45-year-old Arthur Cooke was driving his Mercedes near East 125 Street when he was suddenly surrounded by more than a dozen ATVs and dirt bikes, according to officials. Cooke and the bikers argued after Cooke pulled over to inspect the damage caused by one of the bikers hitting his passenger side mirror.

Several members of the group allegedly surrounded and attacked Cooke, who was allegedly on a date with his significant other at the time, according to a GoFundMe page. At least one person allegedly pulled a gun on Cooke before he drove away from the scene in Cooke’s luxury car. According to officials, he was taken to a local hospital and died weeks later from his injuries. Cooke’s death was ruled a homicide, and an investigation is currently underway. ATVs and dirt bikes are not permitted on city streets. They are not registered, and neither their drivers nor their vehicles are licensed or insured. Many New Yorkers believe they also contribute to the city’s sense of lawlessness.

Police have cracked down on them in recent months, seizing and destroying thousands of them this year alone. “We’ve seized 9,750 dirt bikes and ATVs this year, which is an incredible number, but it doesn’t seem to have made a dent; they’re still out there, and we’re rounding them up every weekend,” said New York Police Department Chief of Department Kenneth Corey. As a special advocate for Exodus Transitional Community, the victim appeared in court. He worked tirelessly, according to his coworkers, to keep young men and women out of jail and off the streets. “He was our gentle giant, he was six foot seven, but he was a de-escalator, not an aggressive person,” Carmen Arroyo, a friend and colleague, said. “He was a role model for everyone he knew and cared about, including the people he worked with. As a result, it simply does not make sense. It broke both of our hearts.”

The organization’s founder and executive director, Julio Medina, issued the following statement: “Arthur was a beloved member of our community and we are all devastated by the loss. Like so many people at Exodus, we considered Arthur a member of our family, and his story is similar to the thousands of others we serve. We watched as his mindset shifted from one of hopelessness since serving his sentence to one of hope and aspirations, and he was always helping his participants do the same. To Arthur, the value of his work was apparent when he got to see the joy that those he helped realized that there is light at the end of the tunnel. That meant everything to Arthur. Exodus’ mission is to support justice-impacted individuals who are incarcerated and after they get out. We support them throughout their journey, including often hiring them to be part of our organization so they too, just like Arthur, can give back.”

Arthur Cooke Obituary, Death – A man died two weeks after his car was surrounded by 30 ATVs in an assault and carjacking after a fender bender. Around 10 p.m. on Nov. 4, 45-year-old Arthur Cooke was driving his Mercedes near East 125 Street when he was suddenly surrounded by more than a dozen ATVs…