Graphic video shows Phoenix police officer getting shot at gas station

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) - Police released body camera footage on Thursday afternoon of a shootout between officers and a suspect, which left a Phoenix police officer hospitalized.

The graphic video obtained by Arizona’s Family shows suspect Nicholas Cowan shooting Officer Denise Bruce-Jones and another officer before speeding away from the Phoenix gas station, investigators said.

Cowan’s girlfriend called 911 and said she was at a Marathon gas station on April 14 near Cave Creek and Beardsley roads. She told a dispatcher to send an ambulance and not the police in the call. She then said Cowan was acting “crazy” and hitting himself with a bat on his head, body, legs and arms. The woman then told the dispatcher he had a cord around his neck.

“I think if the cops show up there, it’s going to be ... I don’t think it’s going to go good,” the woman said on the 911 call. She then told the dispatcher Cowan had a gun.

In the body camera footage, Bruce-Jones and another officer were at the gas station talking to the woman. The woman told Bruce-Jones she saw Cowan’s Prius pull up to the gas station. “Oh my god, that’s him,” the woman said in the video.

Cowan’s Prius turned into the gas station and stopped a short distance away from Bruce-Jones and the woman standing near the gas station entrance, police said. Bruce-Jones attempted to tell Cowan to get out of the car, and then he started shooting at officers from inside his vehicle, according to police. Bruce-Jones was hit by the first gunshot and immediately fell to the ground. The other officer immediately ducked behind his patrol car and started returning fire. Several bullets were seen shattering the gas station’s windows.

More than 15 gunshots could be heard as Cowan and the other officer returned fire at each other, investigators said. Bruce-Jones could be seen lying on the ground. Cowan then drove off with the second officer shooting at his car. The second officer then went to Bruce-Jones to tend to her injuries.

On Monday, Cowan was released from the hospital and booked into jail on two counts of attempted first-degree murder, among other charges. But during the booking process, officials determined Cowan had to go back to the hospital to be monitored, police said. Cowan was then on the run for three days until he was found at a Scottsdale rental property and arrested on April 17.

Bruce-Jones was moved from the hospital to a rehab facility on Friday. She is a 24-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department. Her spouse is also a Phoenix police officer.