Man Accused Of Shooting Officer Still On The Run, FBI Assists: Police

PHOENIX, AZ — The man suspected of shooting and critically injuring a Phoenix police officer Thursday morning was still on the loose as of Friday afternoon, and the FBI had joined Phoenix police in the search for him, police said.

Police described Nicholas Cowan, the man they said was the suspected shooter, as a white man in his mid-30s, who is 6 feet tall and weighs around 215 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hat, white t-shirt and black shorts. He has tattoos on his neck and is possibly injured from a shootout with police.

The public is asked to call 911 if they see him and is strongly urged not to approach him.

The total reward being offered for tips leading to Cowan's arrest reached $35,000 on Friday, with $5,000 from Silent Witness, $5,000 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and $25,000 from the FBI, police said.

The officer who was shot, a 24-year veteran of the department, had not been publicly identified as of Friday. She was in stable condition Thursday evening, after surgery to remove the bullet that struck her, police said.

Around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a call from Cowan's girlfriend who accused Cowan of domestic violence and said he had attempted suicide, police said. She met police at a gas station near the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Beardsley Road instead of her home because she wanted to avoid a conflict between Cowan and police.

While police were talking to Cowan's girlfriend, Cowan showed up at the gas station. He is then suspected of firing a handgun at an officer and hitting her, according to police. Another officer then fired back at Cowan, and he fled the scene in a Prius, police said.

The Prius was found Thursday afternoon, but Cowan was not inside of it.