Tyler man who was allegedly involved in standoff in store parking lot indicted

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A Smith County grand jury has indicted a 36-year-old Tyler man who was allegedly involved in a standoff with police at Hobby Lobby after he rammed his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.

Joshua Allen Cowart is still being held in the Smith County Jail on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, an evading arrest charge, and a parole violation. His bond amount has been set at $100,000 for the assault charge.

Cowart was among the 55 people the Smith County grand jury indicted when it met in the 241st Judicial District Court on Dec. 5.

The department released a statement on the incident, saying that at 7:13 a.m. they received a 911 call from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend followed her to work.

She told police he was acting crazy and she attempted to get away from him in her vehicle in a parking lot at the intersection of Copeland Road and Loop 323.

Police said the man was allegedly shouting that he was going to kill the woman and deliberately backed his vehicle into her vehicle while she was inside.

The man, identified as Cowart, then fled the area in his vehicle. He was later spotted by traffic officers at Paluxy Drive and Loop 323.

Cowart pulled into a Hobby Lobby parking lot, exited his vehicle with a knife and shouted at officers to kill him.

“Officers on scene gave him several verbal commands to drop the knife. He did not comply with the commands and was shot with a less lethal shotgun beanbag twice,” the Tyler Police Department release stated.

Cowart then ran toward the road where he was taken into custody in the 3800 block of Paluxy Drive, according to the press release.

Cowart has an extensive criminal history, the press release stated.

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