Tennessee woman charged in chase linked to shootout that killed Fairway officer, suspect
A 32-year-old Tennessee woman has been charged with three felonies in the police chase connected to a shootout at a Johnson County gas station that killed a Fairway police officer and another suspect, court records show.
Andrea Rene Cothran of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was charged Tuesday morning in Johnson County District Court with one count each of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and theft. She also faces a charge of reckless driving, a misdemeanor.
The officer killed in the shootout was identified as 29-year-old Jonah Oswald, a four-year veteran of the Fairway Police Department.
In the charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, Cothran is accused of knowingly causing bodily harm to a different officer. The charge alleges the battery was done with a deadly weapon or in a manner where great bodily, disfigurement or death could be inflicted.
The suspect killed in the shooting was identified by police as Shannon Wayne Marshall, 40, of Ashland City, Tennessee.
In meeting with the media Tuesday afternoon, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said prosecutors continue to review the case with investigators to determine if any additional charges against Cothran are warranted.
“We would just ask the public to give us some patience as we work through a very complicated crime scene and investigation,” Howe said.
He noted all of the charges pertain to the police chase. The aggravated battery charge is related to the initial start of the chase, using the vehicle as a deadly weapon, he said.
“As the rest of the community, we were shocked by what has happened in the death of Officer Oswald and again, our condolences to his him and his family and to the fairway police department,” Howe said.
“But we have a job to do. And the tough part about prosecutors and law enforcement is that we can’t get consumed by that situation and the loss of an officer’s life, but instead stay focused on our jobs. We’re human beings, so it does impact us. But we try to do our very best to stay objective and focused on our our duties and responsibilities,” he said.
This is the third officer that’s lost their life since Howe became district attorney.
In response to a question about the felony murder rule, which holds accomplices culpable when someone is killed during the commission of a serious crime even if they were not the killer, he said the investigative process allows for that type of analysis.
“Again, this is 48 hours into the investigation,” he said. “That along with many other factual and legal considerations, our office will review to determine whether or not there are sufficient facts and evidence to support any additional charges.”
Howe said he couldn’t discuss why the two people from Tennessee were in the Kansas City area because of the pending criminal case.
That is part of the ongoing investigation. He said the district attorney’s office is working together with the investigators with the Lenexa Police Department and the Johnson County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team to determine the background that lead up to the shooting.
The chase and shooting
The events that led to the deadly shootout began around 7:30 a.m. Sunday with reports of a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee at the QuikTrip near West 95th Street and Interstate 35 in Lenexa.
As officers were investigating the theft, a woman driving the SUV allegedly rammed a Lenexa police cruiser and then fled. Lenexa police chased the vehicle north on I-35. When the SUV crashed at Lamar Avenue, a man and woman ran into a nearby QuikTrip.
Officers from other agencies followed the pair into the QuikTrip. Then shots were exchanged inside.
Marshall was pronounced dead at the scene. Oswald was taken to a hospital, where he died on Monday.
Cothran was being held on $1 million bond. She made her first appearance in a Johnson County courtroom at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
In 2016, she pleaded guilty to two counts of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry.
This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 10:40 AM.
