CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) –A jury has found 41-year-old Mark Lowe guilty of attempted murder, among other charges.
Lowe was accused of trying to shoot a lawyer at his Chesterfield office outside the Centre Court building at 9401 Courthouse Road,in June 2012. He was apprehended after an off-duty Virginia Capitol Police officer and a Chesterfield police lieutenant who happened to be nearby and disarmed and arrested him.
Lowe was charged with attempted murder, abduction and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting into an occupied dwelling.
The lawyer and a bystander suffered minor injuries trying to get away from the gunman. No one was shot.
For the first time, the Capitol police officer credited for diffusing the drama spoke about his role in a Chesterfield parking lot last summer and what Lowe said to him as he charged forward with a gun.
That day a woman had been held at gunpoint and a shot was fired at Lowe’s ex-wife’s attorney following a bitter custody battle.Lowe will now have 12 years to think about that day, a day where he begged off-duty Capitol Police Officer Jamie Cosby to shoot him in the head
"I was originally told he had fled but that was inaccurate,” said Cosby. “When I got out of my car to render aid, he came out the front door with a rifle."
In court testimony, Cosby said he ordered Lowe to drop his gun numerous times. He said Lowe kept charging him and his voice kept getting higher pitched. He said he yelled at Cosby that he was in his threat zone, begging the special agent to shoot him.
In the end, Lowe and Cosby were an arm’s distance apart and Cosby, with the help of Chesterfield Lt. Randy Horowitz, was able to arrest Lowe and diffuse what could've easily been a deadly incident.
“I met a lot of people in that building,” said Cosby. “I had met Mr. Lowe and his family. I'm thankful things fell the way they did that day and nobody was hurt physically."
But psychologically, the trauma took a toll. Several people inside the building have either retired or moved on, including the attorney Lowe had been targeting, David DeFazio.
"There's no justification for what he did that day and I'm glad they came back with the verdict they did," said Cosby.
It was a stressful situation because Lowe was apparently begging for “suicide by cop,” but Cosby says cooler heads prevailed in the parking lot in June of last year. Cosby says a six-year-old girl could benefit.
"I'm glad Mark Lowe is going to have the chance to have a relationship with his daughter if that's in the cards for him," said Cosby.
Lowe's father had nothing to say as he left the Chesterfield courthouse.
Pre-sentencing is December 3rd. A jury of 12 recommended 12 years and a month, but Lowe will get credit for time served.
