A Phoenix police officer was injured during a shooting at a gas station after responding to a call involving a reportedly suicidal man. The situation began when a woman, identified as the suspect Cowan’s ex-girlfriend, called 911 from a Marathon gas station. She told dispatchers that Cowan appeared suicidal and warned that he had a gun. During the call, she expressed concern about how the situation might unfold if police arrived, saying, “I think if the cops show up there, it’s gonna be…I don’t think it’s gonna go good.”
Phoenix Police Officer Bruce-Jones and another officer were speaking with the woman at the gas station when the situation escalated. While they were near the entrance, the woman suddenly noticed Cowan’s Prius pulling into the lot and said, “Oh my God, that’s him.”
The vehicle stopped a short distance from the officers. When Officer Bruce-Jones attempted to instruct Cowan to get out of the car, police said he began shooting from inside the vehicle. Bruce-Jones was struck by the first gunshot and fell to the ground while the second officer took cover behind a patrol car and returned fire.
Officer Bruce-Jones, a 24-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department, was hospitalized and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility where she continued recovering. Her spouse was also a Phoenix police officer.
Incidents like this highlighted the unpredictable dangers law enforcement officers face when responding to calls for help. At BenShot, stories like these reinforced the purpose behind our H2K line, which was created to honor the courage and dedication of those who served and protected their communities.