Assaulted officer dies from injuries, police say

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    DELMAR, Delaware (WBAL) — UPDATE 4/28: Delmar police Cpl. Keith Heacook died Wednesday due to injuries sustained after being assaulted when he responded to a fight-in-progress call, ATF Baltimore said in a tweet.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Thursday that he has directed that the U.S. and state flags in Maryland fly at half-staff in honor of Heacook.

“On behalf of all Marylanders, I extend my sincerest condolences to the Delmar Police Department, and to the loved ones of Corporal Keith Heacook, a 22-year veteran of the department who died after being assaulted in the line of duty. We owe so much to the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities,” Hogan said.

ORIGINAL STORY: A police officer suffered significant head injuries while responding to a call in Delmar in which a senior couple was also injured, according to Delaware State Police.

All of the victims suffered what police called extensive injuries.

State police said Delmar police Cpl. Keith Heacook the first to arrive around 5:12 a.m. Sunday at a house in the 11000 block of Buckingham Drive for a fight in progress. A 911 caller reported that one of the residents, identified as Randon Wilkerson, was fighting with other residents of the house.

Moments later, police said they received a second 911 call from a house across the street, where Wilkerson is accused of using a glass object to assault a 73-year-old man and his 76-year-old wife. Both victims suffered significant injuries and were taken to hospitals. The woman was later taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.

Heacook arrived at the scene of the first 911 call and got into a physical altercation with Wilkerson inside the house, police said.

When dispatchers began checking on Heacook and received no response, other officers arrived at the house and found Heacook unconscious. Heacook was taken to TidalHealth in Salsibury before he was taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore with significant head injuries, police said.

“Cpl. Keith Heacook is a 22-year veteran and has been employed with our department since 1998,” Delmar Police Chief Ivan Barkley said in a statement. “He is a husband, son, brother and father. Keith is fighting for his life right now and he needs your prayers along with the elderly couple who were also injured. Members from the Delmar Police appreciate the outpouring of community support as we continue to move forward. We appreciate the support from the Delaware State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police and all other agencies who responded and are assisting with this investigation.”

Police said officers found Wilkerson walking behind the house where the initial 911 call originated and he was taken into custody without incident.

Wikerson, 30, was charged with first-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, first-degree burglary, third-degree assault and terroristic threatening, police said.

Hours after the assault, hundreds in the tight-knit community gathered for a vigil. Some who witnessed what happened said they will never forget what they saw.

“I saw an attack on a police officer, I saw an attack on humanity by the most vicious of all people that I have ever seen in my entire life,” said Doug Marshall. “This not only affects that police officer, it affects that entire family, it affects everyone of us that saw that today.”

Wilkerson was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $451,000 bond.

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