Man wielding a machete told trooper he was ‘fighting off zombies,’ Michigan cops say

A Michigan state trooper was responding to a crash last week when events took a bizarre turn, police said Tuesday.

Around 2:30 a.m. Jan. 5, the trooper arrived on the scene where a car had reportedly hit two deer in Benzie County, state police said in a news release.

The passerby who reported the crash was parked several hundred feet from the damaged vehicle and explained to the trooper that he was keeping his distance because the other driver was “acting funny.”

The driver — later identified as Jordan Cook, 22 — was walking around outside his car and appeared to be holding something in his right hand, police said.

Not long after, the man started running toward the trooper wielding a machete, according to police. The trooper quickly identified himself and commanded Cook to drop the machete.

Cook did as he was told, police said. He was then placed in handcuffs.

Officials said Cook was making “irrational” comments and “appeared to be under the influence,” reportedly remarking about “things that were not there” and telling police that he’d “been fighting off zombies.”

Police said they found three unloaded guns in the trunk of Cook’s car, which was badly damaged by the deer.

Cook was charged with carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, assault with a dangerous weapon and operating under the influence.

His bond was set at $20,000. He’s due back in court on Jan. 21.

Benzie County is in northern part of the state on the coast of Lake Michigan.

This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Man wielding a machete told trooper he was ‘fighting off zombies,’ Michigan cops say."