Assistant District Attorney Todd Pettigrew said Mr. Fowler, 43, of Amityville violated a "stay away" order barring him from coming into contact with his wife, Michelle, 46, when he obtained a job at Suffolk County Community College, where she also worked. When the school learned of the order, they terminated Mr. Fowler's employment, the prosecutor said.
"Apparently, this enraged the defendant," Mr. Pettigrew said.
Mr. Fowler pleaded not guilty through his attorney to upgraded charges that include attempted second-degree murder, assault, burglary, leaving the scene of an accident and various charges involving disobeying a court order, according to online court documents.
Ms. Fowler requested an order of protection in April, which barred her husband from contacting her; however, he violated that order on Sept. 28 after "barging in" through the front door of her Coram home and into the bedroom where she was with a friend, according to Mr. Pettigrew. It was then that Ms. Fowler obtained a full "stay away order" from First District Court in Central Islip.
Suffolk Police told The North Shore Sun that Ms. Fowler had gone to the Sixth Precinct the night of the attack to report that her husband had violated an order of protection by contacting her by telephone and was interviewed about the incident. Police began actively looking for Mr. Fowler after Ms. Fowler notified them, police said. After her interview with investigators, police said Ms. Fowler was offered safe housing and a panic alarm, but declined the offer and left the precinct.
Almost one month later, Mr. Fowler, who was released on his own recognizance, parked at a golf course near Ms. Fowler's home and then gained access to her property by bypassing security at the gated community in which she lives, Mr. Pettigrew said. Mr. Fowler then shot her five times, the prosecutor said.
The shots woke up Ms. Fowler's 16-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Mr. Pettigrew said.
"She woke up and found her mother bleeding and called 911," he said.
Mr. Fowler fled the scene in his sport utility vehicle and side-swiped an ambulance responding to the emergency call, Mr. Pettigrew said.
No one else was injured in the crash, according to authorities.
Ms. Fowler is a "long way from recovery," Mr. Pettigrew said.
Two orders of protection were issued during Wednesday's proceeding: one for Ms. Fowler and the other for her daughter, Mr. Pettigrew said.
Mr. Fowler was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead, where he will be held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court for a conference on Dec. 4.
Mr. Fowler's defense attorney, Frank Doddato of Garden City, offered little comment about him outside the courtroom other than to point out that he's a former police officer.
"The bottom line is he happens to be a terribly nice guy from a terribly nice family," Mr. Doddato said of Mr. Fowler. "It's just a tragedy that he finds himself in this situation."
peggy@northshoresun.com