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Police Officer Nicola Diane Cotton | New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana
New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana

Police Officer

Nicola Diane Cotton

New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana

End of Watch: Monday, January 28, 2008

Biographical Info

Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: 1869

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 28, 2008
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Committed

Police Officer Nicola Cotton was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a rape suspect in a parking lot in the 2100 block of Earhart Boulevard.

As she attempted to put a handcuff on the man, who was twice her size, he pulled away and began to struggle. During the struggle, she lost control of her radio but was able to recover it and called for assistance. As the struggle continued the suspect gained control of Officer Cotton's baton and struck her with it. He was then able to gain control of her duty weapon and shot her fifteen times.

Responding units arrived at the scene approximately two minutes after Officer Cotton was shot and located the suspect still holding her service weapon. He was taken into custody by the responding officers.

On September 30th, 2010, the man, who had a history of paranoid schizophrenia, was determined to be mentally incompetent and committed at a state mental hospital in Jackson.

Officer Cotton had served with the New Orleans Police Department for two years and was assigned tp the 6th Police District. She was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her murder. She is survived by her mother, sisters, grandfather, nieces, and nephews.