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Nicola Diane Cotton
Agency patch
Police Officer

Nicola Diane Cotton

New Orleans Police Department — New Orleans, LA
Felonious
United States flag Louisiana flag
End of Watch January 28, 2008
Age 24
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
The Vigil Panel 348 · Column 4 · Line 20 ›
Gender Female
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 127

Incident

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.

Survivors

She is survived by her mother, sisters, grandfather, nieces, and nephews.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Cotton gave the New Orleans Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the New Orleans community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Cotton.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New Orleans Police Department
Type Police Department
Location New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA
Platform Identity nopd.orleans.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 28, 2008
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 24
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Nicola is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2008, 65 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 113th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Nicola was 24. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Nicola had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where she stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

New Orleans Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Nicola among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Nicola Diane Cotton

New Orleans Police Department · End of Watch January 28, 2008

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 64-E

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