Jury Deliberations Underway In Chris Cook Trial

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The jury is still deliberating the fate of Vikings player Chris Cook. Closing arguments took most of the morning and early afternoon Wednesday in Hennepin County Court.

Cook is facing domestic assault charges for a fight with his girlfriend last October at his Eden Prairie home.

This is clearly not an easy decision for the jury. For at least three hours, jurors deliberated over six days of testimony from doctors, police officers, witnesses and the only two people who really know what happened that night.

In the final opportunity to plead their case, both the defense and prosecution took more than an hour each for their closing arguments. The state described Cook as a man whose "jealousy, anger, rage and misplaced guilt" drove him to the attack his girlfriend, on Oct. 22, 2011.

A big focus was the victim changing her story that Cook choked her. The prosecution pointed out that it is common for domestic violence victims to recant their story, so the most reliable evidence comes from Chantel Baker.

Shortly after the attack, she told police "I know he choked me."

But the defense argued that Baker was trying to finally tell the truth by recanting her story, saying she felt guilty about the "possible effect on Cook's career."

They described a woman who attacked her boyfriend and Cook was trying to defend himself because he "believed he was going to be hit again."

On Tuesday, we learned this all started after the couple and some friends went out to a strip called formerly known as "Sheiks."

The jury had not reached a verdict before court adjourned for the day. If the jury finds Cook not guilty on the two felony charges, he could be found guilty on lesser domestic assault charges.

Deliberations are scheduled to continue at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Hennepin County Court.