Daughter says dad killed while running from Berkley police was drunk and trying to help ex-girlfriend

The daughter of a 53-year-old man who died late Monday night while running from police said her dad was no peeping tom.

Derek Cook, 53, from Warren, died Monday night a little after 10 at the intersection of 11 Mile and Greenfield, in Southfield. According to police, they were trying to arrest him for a report of stalking when he sped off, ran a red light, hit a car, and then crashed into a utility pole.

Joe Daniels works nearby and saw the crash. He said the damage was indescribable.

"There was a lot of damage. Too much to describe," he said. "I didn't know whether someone died or not but I saw the person's condition and they didn't look very well."

Video from the Mobile gas station shows lights from a Berkley police car chasing Cook and then the crash. CPR was given at the scene but Cook died at the hospital. 

Berkley police told FOX 2 this chase started about a half a mile north, near Catalpa and Ellwood when they got a call about a stalking incident and were trying to arrest an alleged peeping tom. When they arrived, they saw a 2012 Chevy Cruz leaving the area. 

They attempted a traffic stop but Cook kept going south on Greenfield until the crash. 

Leah Deardorff, Cook's daughter, tells Fox 2 that he was called to the home on Ellwood by his ex-girlfriend who allegedly wanted help finding her 14-year-old daughter. Leah says her father was drinking. He got into an argument and the ex-girlfriend called the police. 

"He's not a pervert, he was a good guy. He was stalking alcohol- that's what happens to people. That's why he ran from the cops. It's not because he was a peeping Tom, whatever you wanna call it. It's because he was drinking."

The other driver was not seriously hurt. Berkley police are still investigating.