CASPER — Two Casper police officers will not face charges in the April 28 shooting death of an armed woman who approached them at her front door after calling 911 to report a burglary in progress.
On Tuesday, Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen informed the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation agent in charge of the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Casper resident Jody Cobia, 37, that he would not prosecute.
According to police body cam video released by the Casper Police Department in late May, Cobia sent out a German shepherd and leveled a weapon at an officer when police approached the door of her McKinley Street home.
In a three-page letter to DCI agent Zack Miller, Itzen described how Casper officers Zachary Gonzales and William Maples were met at the door by Cobia, who pointed a gun at Maples and said, “Where the f*** are my children?”
According to Itzen, body camera footage showed that as Maples approached the door, a German shepherd emerged from the partially opened door and jumped on him.
Cobia, dressed in black pants, a black shirt, and a black baseball cap, held a gun and pointed it at Maples, asking about her children just before the officers heard a “click,” Itzen reported.
During his interview about the incident, Maples stated that he looked up from the dog on his chest and saw the gun pointed at his head, so he ducked to avoid being shot. He believed he was “going to die,” Itzen wrote.
“As he does this, he hears a click sound,” Itzen explained. “The officer knew that sound occurs when the trigger is depressed.”
‘I Think Her Gun Jammed’
Itzen said both Maples and Gonzalez responded to Cobia by firing their weapons and hitting her once in the chest and once in the leg.
He claimed Cobia “retreated” into the house before falling. Maples is captured on body camera saying, “I think her gun jammed, dude.”
Gonzales’ body camera captured him checking his own body to see if he had been shot, saying, “She shot at us,” Itzen wrote. Gonzales fired after hearing the click sound.
When Itzen examined Cobia’s weapon, he stated that it was loaded and that the trigger was “pulled” during a visual examination.
A survey of the neighborhood revealed that one resident described Cobia as “always armed with a pistol.”
Another neighbor confirmed that Cobia had a pistol and expressed concern that someone would take her children. Another neighbor referred to the 37-year-old mother as “crazy lady.”
The investigation, Itzen wrote, revealed that Cobia’s children had been removed from her home.
Itzen wrote that law enforcement officers have the same right to self-defense as anyone else. He stated that the “right” depends on what is “reasonably necessary.”
“The person must reasonably perceive the threat of imminent death or serious bodily harm under all circumstances,” Itzen wrote, quoting Wyoming law. “And a reasonable person would have acted in a similar manner.”
‘Reasonable’ Force
Itzen’s letter says that the use of “deadly force” by officers Maples and Gonzales was “reasonable” for their own self-defense during the incident.
“Both officers are called to a home where an armed person dressed in black has made entry into the home,” writes Itzen. “The officers see someone who matches that description. That person points a gun at Officer Maples’ head and pulls the trigger.
“The officers rightfully perceived the threat, and their response was reasonable.”
The Casper Police Department did not immediately respond to a question about whether Gonzales and Maples had returned to duty.
Cobia, according to an obituary posted earlier this year on the Casper Newcomer Funeral Homes website, had a “vibrant spirit and unwavering dedication to her family.”
“Jody’s playful personality shone brightly through her mildly laidback demeanor and ever-present wit,” according to her funeral notice. “Always ready for a good-natured spar with her children, she had an unparalleled talent for bringing laughter into ordinary moments, leaving an imprint of joy wherever she went.”
The obituary mentions four children, her husband, Aren, as survivors, as well as a father and brother.
Estranged
According to court records, Jody and her husband were estranged, and Aren Cobia filed for divorce on April 14, seeking custody of three minor children.
Jody Cobia also had a protection order against her husband, which was filed on August 5, 2024 and was effective until August 5, 2025.
Jody Cobia was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from high school there, according to her obituary, adding that she was a creative and “caring” individual.
“She found joy in making candles, soap, and bath bombs, weaving warmth and light into the lives of those around her,” according to the memoir. “Her hobbies blossomed into not just crafts, but heartfelt gifts for family and friends that spoke to her caring nature.”
