FBI to assist Phoenix police in hunt for man accused of shooting officer

By Vaughan Jones
Published: Friday, April 15, 2022 - 3:38pm
Updated: Saturday, April 16, 2022 - 12:02pm

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Nicholas Cowan
Phoenix Police Department
Nicholas Cowan

The FBI is now involved in a statewide manhunt for a suspect accused of wounding a Phoenix police officer in a gas-station shootout on Thursday.

Police say the officer was shot by 35-year-old Nicholas Cowan while interviewing Cowan's girlfriend regarding a domestic violence call near Cave Creek Road and Beardsley Road.

Another officer exchanged gunfire with Cowan, who fled the scene. The shooting prompted a Blue Alert notification on cellphones from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and police later found the car he had been driving.

The reward for information leading to his arrest, previously $5,000, has now been upgraded to $35,000.

Cowan may have been injured in the shootout, but police say he is still armed and dangerous. They urge the public to call 911 if they see him and avoid approaching.

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