MICHELLE COOK

On Thursday, the Clay County Supervisor of Elections announced that former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels has filed again to run for the position in 2024, presumably against current Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook.

A chilling body camera video shows a local deputy's encounter with fentanyl, as he asks another deputy for an ambulance. This close call Thursday was one of many topics of conversation at a fentanyl roundtable in Clay County Friday morning.

Not one, not two, but three advertisements all added to public benches thanking Clay County deputies for all they do were purchased recently -- by someone who has chosen to remain anonymous thus far.

A man is dead and a woman was injured in a shooting

Local sheriffs and Jacksonville’s next mayor on Wednesday evening are set to hold a news conference to discuss what they are saying is a growing issue of violence against law enforcement officers.

A man who is suspected in connection with a 2019 sexual assault in Georgia was arrested in Clay County, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

Sheriff Michelle Cook identified the man as Landen Hillman from Oakleaf.

The sights, sounds and smells of the Clay County Agricultural Fair are an annual tradition in Green Cove Springs -- and so is seeing Richard Nunn cut the ribbon on Opening Day.

The Clay County Agricultural Fair opens Thursday.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Monday announced the rollout of the agency’s newest tool: drones.

Clay County Sheriff's Office has released a sketch Thursday morning, hoping it will lead to more information in a rape case.

Amid a population spike, Clay County leaders have begun discussions on major capital investments for the area, including things like a new jail and improvements to major roads.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says it’s investigating two fires at unoccupied homes in the Clay Hill area.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Monday said deputies responded to a reported sexual battery earlier in the day, and that investigators were working to identify a suspect.

A former Clay County deputy on Wednesday pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault of a child.

Hours after deputies surrounded a home on Sandy Hollow Loop in the Lakeside area Friday morning, a man surrendered to law enforcement around 11 a.m., Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

An Amber Alert was issued Thursday night asked for an 8-month-old girl, who was believed to be in the company of her father.

Clay County leaders announced Monday that are taking the initiative to protect law enforcement officers, first responders and emergency management teams with the addition of the Signal 35 Fund, which is named after the county’s radio call code for officers who need assistance.

Following last Thursday’s acquittal of former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels we’re looking into whether he has a viable path to re-enter politics. This comes after Daniels released a statement following his acquittal and statement that he is the victim of a political witch hunt.

Dalton Bray, who served as sheriff of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office from 1989 to 1992, has died, the department posted Tuesday on its Facebook page.

Ahead of the new school year, Clay County officials on Monday laid out their plans to keep students safe and protect against mass shootings.

Two people died Saturday morning when an experimental helicopter known as a gyrocopter crashed and caught fire on private property off County Road 214 in the Melrose area of Clay County, authorities said.

A pilot on Thursday afternoon had to make a landing on State Road 16 near State Road 21, according to Clay County Fire Rescue.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office refused to answer questions Thursday after deputies shot and killed someone Wednesday night in Orange Park following a car chase.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said authorities on Wednesday night were sent to investigate a shooting that involved deputies.

A dayslong search in the area surrounding a home where a Clay County couple survived a two-day hostage nightmare turned up what are believed to be human remains, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Friday.

A Clay County Sheriff's Office deputy accused of ongoing sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl has been arrested and will be fired, Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Thursday.

Lumpkin told deputies he “needed to confess something.”

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said a man who was openly carrying a firearm showed up at their facility, after phoning in threats regarding Sheriff Michelle Cook.

An undercover operation nearly two weeks ago led to the seizure of 26 pounds of crystal meth and the arrest of a 19-year-old California man, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said Tuesday.

Clay County law enforcement agencies have launched a new tool for reporting crimes and suspicious activity in the county that can also help keep the public informed.

Clay County Fire Rescue personnel were dispatched Wednesday night to a fire at the popular Grumpy’s Restaurant in Middleburg.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday that it was working with a property owner to dismantle a homeless camp in a wooded area just south of the Duval County line, near the Orange Park Mall.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that happened Saturday at a Green Cove Springs gas station in Clay County. The incident started with a hostage situation that shut down roads in the area for several hours, investigators said.

A 13-year-old boy has died and four other teenage boys were injured Saturday during a brawl outside a house in Orange Park.

Clay County Animal Services says puppies who were pulled from a property on Old Jennings Road in October could soon be ready for adoption.

Clay County Animal Services on Tuesday confirmed more than 200 animals were rescued Monday from a 1-acre property on Old Jennings Road where, Sheriff Michelle Cook said, an investigation revealed deplorable conditions.

More than 100 animals were found at a home Monday on Old Jennings Road after an investigation there revealed deplorable conditions, according to Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook.

People across the country spent Tuesday evening getting to know their neighbors and the police officers and deputies that patrol their neighborhoods, keeping them safe.

At least eleven first responders in our area have died of COVID-19.

A beloved Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police academy instructor has died and his passing is being called an "active duty death," News4Jax has learned. It does not appear to be related to COVID-19.

The carnival at the Orange Park Mall in Clay County came to an abrupt end Saturday night.

Three men are facing narcotics charges after Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Thursday led a SWAT team to a Middleburg home to execute search and arrest warrants.

The News4Jax Trust Index team is fact-checking accusations that the government brought in a group of people who immigrated illegally and dropped them off in Green Cove Springs.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Thursday announced Operation Hammer and Hope, a two-step process of reducing drug overdoses in the county.

The search for a 34-year-old man who fell of a boat late Sunday afternoon in Black Creek resumed at 8:30 a.m. Monday as a recovery mission, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

Police in Clay County found a 13-year-old who had been missing for several hours overnight Friday.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, along with her narcotics deputies and tactical team, on Wednesday raided a Middleburg home and arrested two residents.

After an 11-year-old boy's death, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families began investigations into his death and the safety of his siblings.

Three people died Wednesday morning when a small plane when down off Violet Way at the end of Carter Spencer Road in Middleburg, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Now that the Clay County Agricultural Fair is underway, there’s a traffic alert for drivers traveling on State Road 16, the two-lane road that feeds into the fairgrounds.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Hallucinogenic drugs and enough explosive material to make seven homemade hand grenades were found at a home in Keystone Heights, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Monday. On March 19, officers went to the home and found a “DMT extraction lab” inside a shed on the property, Cook said. They can be dangerous to those who are producing the drug, the community and for our investigating officers and detectives,” Cook said. AdDetectives also found chemicals that can be used to create other psychedelic drugs, five guns, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and chemicals that could be used to build destructive or explosive devices. Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked together to investigate the lab and clean up the hazardous chemicals that were located there.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook got a shout out from the National Sheriff’s Association in honor of Women’s History Month. She is the only current female sheriff in all of Florida. Before being elected Sheriff, Cook served as Chief of the Atlantic Beach Police Department and was a director for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Cook said, “Women bring perspectives and life experiences that are needed in this profession.”She encourages young women who want to better the community to consider a career in law enforcement.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A man at the center of a SWAT standoff Sunday in Clay County was identified as the “sole suspect” in the killing of a woman in St. Johns County, authorities said Monday. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call Sunday morning from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about a man, identified as Hopkins, who had driven a vehicle into a home in Fleming Island and barricaded himself inside. Based on the man’s statements, St. Johns County deputies responded to a home in the northwest part of St. Johns County to check on the welfare of a resident. Eventually, with the help of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, members of the Clay County SWAT team entered the home and found him dead. The Betty Griffin Center in St. Johns County can be reached at 904-824-1555The hotline number of Quigley House in Clay County is 904-284-0061.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The man who barricaded himself inside a Fleming Island home after crashing into its garage Sunday morning has taken his own life, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. She said the homeowner was out of state at the time of the incident but was returning to Clay County. AdIn St. Johns County, authorities say the death of a woman in the northwest part of the county early Sunday morning is believed to be related to the SWAT standoff Sunday in Clay County. @wjxt4 https://t.co/6FtnpzAqmd — Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) March 7, 2021A St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told News4Jax that the agency received a call around 8:30 a.m. Sunday from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to do a welfare check on a woman in the northwest part of St. Johns County. “We believe this to be a domestic violence incident and related to the active situation in Clay County,” the spokesperson said.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man died Saturday evening after exchanging gunfire with Clay County deputies, authorities said. On Monday afternoon, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Rudy Duvivier, 32. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived about five minutes later and encountered an armed man who then began firing shots at them. The deputies returned fire, striking the man, the Sheriff’s Office said. “I moved to Clay because I feel safer in Clay County for some reason.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Clay County man was arrested Thursday on 10 counts of child pornography possession. As of Monday, Patrick Roach, 62, remained in the Clay County jail on $250,000 bond, according to online jail records. According to an arrest report, the case against Roach began in August when Clay County detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report shows the tip was about files of child pornography being uploaded to a Microsoft account. News4Jax also spoke Monday with Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook about the added threat that exists when law enforcement officers make child pornography arrests.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook says since taking office, she’s hit the ground running. In that timeframe, Cook says she’s already made significant changes to the department, including increasing patrols when Clay County residents need them most. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and her husband, Don Tuten“I think we’ve done a good job of keeping work at work and home at home and not overwhelming them with what we see and hear every day at our jobs,” Cook said. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook news conference on Facebook Live. (Clay County Sheriff's Office)She was back before the cameras that same month, after one of her deputies -- Sgt.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook honored Lt. Mark Cowan for his years of service. GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Lt. Mark Cowan has put on a Clay County Sheriff’s Office uniform for the final time. Sheriff Michelle Cook honored Cowan for his 40 years of service. Cowan started as a part-time reserve deputy in 1980 and started full-time in 1981. “I truly enjoyed serving the citizens of Clay County.”

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A longtime Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been charged with organized fraud after investigators said they found he was falsifying time cards for his secondary employment. Deputy Timothy James Bell, a 26-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was fired after his arrest, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announced Thursday. Cook said the Sheriff’s Office got a tip from within the agency in late October and started looking into Bell’s secondary employment activity. Cook explained that deputies often handle security and property checks in their off-duty hours for companies in Clay County and that these jobs are assigned by a secondary employment coordinator with the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies are expected to log out of work at the Sheriff’s Office before they show up at work for the secondary job, Cook said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Formal charges were filed Wednesday against former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels, who was removed from office in August while under state investigation over an extramarital sex scandal. Daniels, 55, was defeated by Republican challenger Michelle Cook in the August primary following his arrest and subsequent suspension by Gov. The charges stem from an investigation into Daniels’ relationship with Cierra Smith, his long-time mistress and a former corrections officer who was a subordinate of Daniels while he was chief of the Duval County jail. Daniels accused Smith of stalking him in May 2019 and authorities say he tried unsuccessfully to have her arrested. Court documents show investigators suspect Daniels tried to tamper with, hide or destroy data on his agency-issued cellphone that were related to the investigation.

STARKE, Fla. – A Clay County deputy who died in September from complications of COVID-19 was honored Saturday at the Krawl’n for the Fallen event in Starke. The event was overshadowed by tragedy Friday night when a skydiver died after his parachute didn’t deploy properly during a fun jump after practice. Despite the tragic death, the event carried on as law enforcement agencies and families of fallen officers gathered to honor those who have been lost. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it was honored that Sgt. He started with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in the 90s before joining the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in 1998.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A joint operation between the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency has led to 20 pounds of near-pure crystal methamphetamine tied to Mexican drug cartels being taken off area streets. A major crystal meth bust has netted approximately 20 pounds of the drug and more than $32,000 in cash. He was accused of distributing kilogram-sized quantities of crystal meth in both Clay and Duval counties. “We learned of one of these individuals as a major meth dealer here in the area," said DEA agent Matt Dubet. “This particular meth seizure was 98% pure crystal meth,” he said.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Domestic violence can affect anyone. “In a one-minute period of time, 20 people experience domestic violence,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, director of sexual assault services for Quigley House in Clay County. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said no one is immune to domestic violence -- even her own family. Clay County took time Friday during Domestic Violence Awareness month to remind everyone that these aren’t just numbers, they’re family members and friends. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s free services are available at 904-529-4081, and the 24/7 Quigley House hotline is at 904-284-0061.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Clay County deputies and a SWAT team spent several hours early Friday morning in an Eagle Landing neighborhood after the Orange Park Police Department received a call about a violent incident in a home and hostages may inside. According to the 911 call, the caller said he had a bomb strapped to his chest and demanded money. “I want $30,000, otherwise I’m going to blow up the hostages and the entire building with by bombs. “It appears at this time the call concerning this incident was a prank,” deputies said in a release Friday afternoon. The SWAT team and their equipment packed up and left.

The groups are also working to verify another 150 potential COVID-19 deaths. A recent report predicts COVID-19 could double the overall line of duty deaths among first responders this year. Northeast Florida has already lost two law enforcement members to COVID-19 complications. Eric Twisdale, both 48, were both treated as line of duty deaths because it’s believed they contracted the virus while working. It brings together hundreds of law enforcement motorcycle enthusiasts and supporters from around the country to pay tribute to America’s fallen heroes and raise awareness of line of duty deaths nationally.

He died due to complications related to the coronavirus, according to a news release Wednesday from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. “Along the way, he earned a reputation for being courageous and having a huge heart,” the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook told News4Jax she not only lost a deputy, but a dear friend. According to Sheriff’s Office, Twisdale served on the dive team, crisis negotiation team and he served on the honor guard. pic.twitter.com/ltmYwx1ee0 — Orange Park Police (@OPPoliceDept) September 16, 2020#JSO would like to express our condolences to the family of @ccsofl Sergeant Eric Twisdale, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County community.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – There’s a new chief of police in Atlantic Beach. On Monday, Mayor Ellen Glasser and the Atlantic Beach City Commission confirmed City Manager Shane Corbin’s recommendation to appoint Victor Gualillo as police chief. Gualillo, a 29-year veteran with the Atlantic Beach Police Department who has led the department temporarily on three separate occasions, takes over for former Chief of Police Michelle Cook. She won that election last month when she defeated incumbent Darryl Daniels and a write-in candidate withdrew his candidacy. Cook was sworn in Sept. 1 to replace Daniels, who was suspended by Gov.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A week after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office reported 18 cases of COVID-19 inside the county jail, Sheriff Michelle Cook said Monday that 156 inmates have now tested positive. Eight detention deputies have also tested positive for the virus, Cook said during a press conference Monday afternoon. Now that it’s here we’re doing everything we can to keep everybody safe.”Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook announces COVID-19 outbreak at county jail. Cook said the jail has taken measures to isolate and quarantine individuals who have symptoms, test positive or have refused testing. There are currently 472 inmates in the jail, Cook said.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. The Clay County Sheriffs Office acknowledged for the first time Friday that there are cases of coronavirus in the county jail. According to the release, 18 inmates that have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus are isolated and their symptoms are treated accordingly. The Sheriffs Office said there are no inmates at this time in need of advanced medical treatment. The Sheriffs Office said those measures have been in place for several months. Weve implemented safety measures in every aspect of our operations at the Clay County Sheriffs Office, and while it has changed how we operate, we are still committed to keeping our employees and those who are in our custody and control as safe as possible.The Clay County Jail currently 462 inmates in the jail, according to Shassberger.

On Wednesday night, some Clay County families were having a serious conversation with their students after a 13-year-old was arrested, accused of threatening a shooting at Lake Asbury Junior High School. According to Sheriff Michelle Cook, the 13-year-old boy was holding his grandparents rifle when he made the threat in an online video chat using the HouseParty app. The sheriff says another student on the video chat reported what happened to a teacher, who in turn told the Clay County Schools Police Department. We have to learn to not only trust our kids but have our kids trust us, Hamer said. Make them trust you.Along with being arrested, the student was suspended from school and faces the possibility of being expelled.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. A 13-year-old student has been arrested and accused of threatening to attack a Clay County school. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said the 13-year-old boy was arrested after he allegedly threatened to commit a shooting at Lake Asbury Junior High School. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook news conference on Facebook Live. (Clay County Sheriff's Office)The student was interviewed by a Clay County deputy and allegedly admitted to making the threat and having a rifle and ammunition. Clay County superintendent David Broskie said the student has been suspended and faces expulsion.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. In order to give her a head start leading the agency, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed former Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michelle Cook as the next Clay County Sheriff. MORE | Write-in dropout secures Michelle Cook seat as Clay County sheriff-electIts an honor for me as governor to appoint somebody who was elected anyways but gets a head start on this term. And so finishing out 2020 strong for the people of Clay County, DeSantis said. Cook assured Clay County residents they will be safe.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. Changes at the Clay County Sheriffs Office as former Sheriff Darryl Daniels has a court date over his arrest earlier this month. Daniels did not show up in court on Wednesday morning, instead, he had an attorney enter a plea of not guilty for him. Daniels attorney let the judge know the ousted Sheriff is pleading not guilty on the charges he lied to investigators following his arrest just days before the primary election for Sheriff. Following his arrest, Daniels put a video on the Sheriffs Offices YouTube page professing his innocence. Daniels has maintained his arrest was politically motivated and has not spoken publicly since releasing a statement from his campaign on election night.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. Michelle Cook is now Clay Countys sheriff-elect, but that wasnt the case in the hours just after the election. On Wednesday, the write-in candidate -- Frank Bourrie -- withdrew from the race with a handwritten note, securing Cook as sheriff-elect. Its designed to wipe out the write-in loophole when it comes to statewide elections. Darryl Daniels has been suspended as the Clay County sheriff since he faces charges and was arrested less than a week ago. On a side note, there was a write-in candidate in the superintendent of schools race in Clay County.

The likely successors to St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar and Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels the voters selected in the primary wont officially take office until January, but they are already outlining their policing agendas. Michelle Cook, who defeated incumbent Darryl Daniels to win the Clay County primary, and Rob Hardwick, who easily won the seat Sheriff David Shoar is vacating in St. Johns County, are both Republicans. Cook, a Clay County native, brings decades of experience as a Jacksonville police officer and Atlantic Beach police chief to the Clay County Sheriffs Office. And transparency is just an everyday philosophy.She said she wants to focus on making Clay County a place where families want to live and businesses want to invest. ... As long as we can work together, there is nothing St. Johns County cant handle together.Hardwick said he wants to hire more deputies and add more technology as well as grow the departments bond with the community.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – Michelle Cook has defeated suspended Darryl Daniels in the Republican primary for sheriff of Clay County. Cook, a Clay County resident who worked at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for more than 20 years and most recently was chief of the Atlantic Beach Police Department, got 37% of the vote in a six-way race. Cook joined The Morning Show on Wednesday to discuss her Primary victory (press play below to watch):The race for Clay County sheriff had always promised lots of possibilities with five challengers lining up to unseat incumbent Daniels. “There’s a lot of drama,” Clay County voter Deirdre Martin said Tuesday. I told him who he might want to vote for.”All Clay County primary races

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels arrest doesnt stop an election from taking place, though it comes just days before Floridas primary. The decision of Clay County voters may have gotten harder Thursday, or clearer, depending on the perspective. RELATED: Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels turns himself in, faces 4 chargesWell, I think its a shame that this investigation went on so long. The fact that it happened in Clay County, was the highest ranking law enforcement officer in Clay County, to me, it just makes it doubly sad.About half of the voting in Clay County has already occurred, Taylor said. As a resident like you, I ask that you keep Clay County strong, and I will do the same.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. On this edition of This Week in Jacksonville, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz addresses critics and explains the benefits for Jacksonville hosting the Republican National Convention. St. Johns County School Board Chair Beverly Slough talks about how the county is adjusting to the new guidelines for schools. Clay County Commissioner Mike Cella details the numerous races that county residents will decide this November. And former Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michelle Cook joins the show to talk about her run for Clay County sheriff.