Manhunt Ends as Suspect in Phoenix Officer Shooting Is Found in Scottsdale Home

After a valley-wide, three-day manhunt, and several hours of negotiations, the arrest of the man who is accused of shooting a Phoenix police officer outside of a gas station on Thursday has ended after authorities arrest him Sunday night.

In a press conference Sunday evening, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams confirmed that 35-year-old Nicholas Cowan was arrested just before 8 p.m. after officers from multiple departments tracked Cowan down in Scottsdale at a rental property.

SWAT officers in armored vehicles surrounded the residential area near 66th Street and Osborn Road around 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Officer negotiated with him for hours in an attempt to get him to surrender in a peaceful manner. Cowan was eventually taken into custody around 7:45 p.m. inside the home. He was immediately taken to the hospital for medical treatment which include gunshot wounds. Police believe he got the wounds during the shootout with police on Thursday as he fled in his vehicle.

During the investigation, multiple Federal and local agencies were involved in the search operation for Cowan. Multiple search warrants were served at locations across the Valley along as additional leads were reported.

Phoenix Police reported that after Cowan’s arrest, they arrested Cowan’s former girlfriend, Nicole Montalbano, 33, for allegedly assisting Cowan and hindering prosecution. Montalbano has been booked into jail two times in the last two years. In May 2020, both Montalbano and Cowan were arrested on drug charges. Police believe Cowan was assisted by several additional people in his attempt to evade authorities.

As of Sunday morning, police said that the officer who was shot in the incident is still in the intensive care unit at HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center. She comes from a family of public servants and her husband is currently a Phoenix police officer. He too was involved in an ambush-style attack late last year.