Santa Rosa Fugitive Captured and 2 Others Also Arrested by Pensacola U.S. Marshals Task Force In Dothan

DOTHAN, AL - The U.S. Marshals North Florida Violent Fugitive Task Force, and members from Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Damian Lee McGowan after a week of being on the run. The 25 year old McGowan was being sought by the Sheriff’s Office in Santa Rosa for Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Escape and Theft; after he struck a Santa Rosa Deputy who was attempting to place him under arrest after traffic stop. According to reports, the deputy placed one handcuff on McGowan who spun around, struck the officer, ran off into the woods and jumped a fence on the property of the Air Products Chemical in company in Pace. After fleeing, McGowan, who also worked at the chemical company; broke into a tool building and stayed there, and filed off the handcuffs while police and a helicopter were still searching for him. According to the police reports, McGowan was stopped for a broken taillight. When the deputies discovered that he had a suspended license for being a habitual offender of driving infractions, they began taking steps to place him under arrest. The reports also stated that as they attempted to do so McGowan said “Please don’t do this to me I am gonna have to go back to prison,” before fleeing.

Yesterday, Santa Rosa investigators contacted their partners on the Marshals Task Force from Pensacola and requested their help after receiving a Crime Stopper’s tip that McGowan may be in Dothan. Earlier this morning, they teamed up and headed toward Dothan contacting the U.S. Marshals’ Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force asking them for help. After attempting to locate McGowan at a trailer where the fugitive was thought to be hiding, they determined that there was a possible second address where he might be. At about 3 o’clock, the two task forces with the help of Dothan City Police Department and Hudson County Sheriff’s Office arrested McGowan at his sister’s house on County Road 33 in Cottonwood, Alabama. While searching the house, he was spotted by a task force deputy hiding outside of a window he just crawled out of. He was placed under arrest without further incident. Also arrested was McGowan’s sister, 20 year old Cindy McGowan and Michael Allen Alexander, 19 who will be charged with Possession of Marijuana and Obstruction of Justice. Damian McGowan was also charged with Possession of a Forged Instrument. All charges are felonies in Alabama. All three will be booked in the Houston County Jail in Dothan.