Phoenix police release bodycam footage of police shooting involving suspect Nicholas Cowan

Jane Florance and Joanna Jacobo Rivera, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

Phoenix police released body camera footage of an April 14 shooting that involved suspect Nicholas Cowan, arrested on suspicion of shooting an officer.

Phoenix police responded to a gas station around 10:35 a.m., near Cave Creek and Beardsley roads, after a woman called concerned about her boyfriend saying he was suicidal.

According to Sgt. Andy Williams with the Phoenix Police Department, the woman was the suspect's girlfriend, who police previously had identified as Cowan, 35.

Police released footage captured by body-worn cameras as well as a clip of the 911 call made by the woman on Thursday.

In the audio, the woman, who was not identified, tells a dispatcher that her boyfriend is hurting himself. She is heard asking the dispatcher to send an ambulance, not the police, saying "I think if the cops show up there it's not gonna be good."

The audio is then cut off when the woman tells the dispatcher that Cowan has a gun.

According to Williams, a male and female police officer responded to the scene and were interviewing the woman outside of a gas station when the suspect drove up to the gas station.

The footage shows the woman identifying the man, saying "oh my God, that's him" to the female officer. The officer then turns toward a Prius being driven into the gas station and slowing down near a pump.

The female officer begins to approach the vehicle and as she is asking the driver to step out of the vehicle, she appears to be struck by a shot fired from inside the vehicle, the footage shows.

As the officer lays on the ground, the footage captured from her camera then shows the other officer exchanging gunfire with the suspect while shielding himself behind a parked car.

Footage from the other officer's body camera shows him firing back at the driver and emptying his gun before moving to assist the injured officer. By this time, the Prius is no longer visible in the footage.

According to Williams, the suspect then fled the scene and evaded police for three days after the incident.

On April 17, he was located in Scottsdale near 66th Street and Osborn Road where police negotiated and ultimately arrested him, according to Williams.

The suspect was taken to a hospital for his injuries from the shootout on April 14. He was later booked into jail for two counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, drive-by shooting and misconduct involving a weapon, Williams said.

The female officer remained in medical care as of Thursday night, Williams said.

At least three other people have been arrested in suspcion of helping Cowan.

The charges that Caroline Coster, 35, and Michael Hankins, 41, are unclear.

Nicole Montalbano, 33, faces charges on suspicion of hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, according to court documents.

An internal investigation by the Professional Standard Bureau is being conducted.

Yellow tape surrounds the scene, pictured on Feb. 12, 2022, at a home where a barricade standoff occurred that led to a shooting involving multiple Phoenix police officers on the morning of Feb. 11, 2022.
Yellow tape surrounds the scene, pictured on Feb. 12, 2022, at a home where a barricade standoff occurred that led to a shooting involving multiple Phoenix police officers on the morning of Feb. 11, 2022.

Reporter Chelsea Curtis contributed to this article.

Reach breaking news intern Jane Florance at jflorance@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @Florance_Jane.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bodycam footage of shooting involving suspect Nicholas Cowan released