Phoenix saw justice served as Nicholas Cowan received a 68-year prison sentence for his violent confrontation with police back in April 2022. Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced the decision following Cowan's conviction on multiple felony counts, including two counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer. This sentencing is a result of the harrowing event that unfolded when Cowan's girlfriend reported he was suicidal and had threatened violence against the police.
The situation escalated quickly at a gas station rendezvous where the girlfriend met with officers to discuss Cowan's assault on her the previous day. Cowan, the man in question, appeared on the scene shortly thereafter and within moments, unleashed a barrage of gunfire from his vehicle, hitting one officer and igniting a manhunt that lasted three days, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The officers were engaged in dialog with Cowan's girlfriend when the offender, driving into the parking lot opened fire through his passenger-side window – injuring one officer in the stomach.
After evading capture, Cowan was eventually apprehended in Scottsdale. The trial that followed culminated in a series of convictions – including Drive-By Shooting and Aggravated Assault – alongside the Attempted Murder charges. The body camera footage, a silent witness to the event, shows the brazen nature of Cowan's assault. "Make no mistake, this defendant had every intention of killing these officers when he opened fire," the Maricopa County Attorney's Office stated.
As Cowan faces the weight of his sentence, he is also contending with additional charges stemming from an alleged assault on a detention officer at the 4th Avenue Jail in December 2023. The jury found him guilty of Aggravated Assault in this separate incident, with sentencing scheduled for March 21.
