Homeowner shoots and kills intruder

Excerpted from full story that originally ran here as:
Homeowner kills intruder, police say
By MELISSA MOORE
Advocate staff writer
March 15, 2001

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA -- A 26-year-old man shot [Raymond] Cockran, 36, to death Wednesday morning after Cockran kicked open the door of the other man's home off Thomas Road, city police said.

The man who shot Cockran, Andre Rachels, will not be arrested, police spokesman Cpl. Don Kelly said.

Rachels told police he heard someone knocking on the door at his home at 2265 Plantation Drive about 3 a.m. He ignored it and went back to sleep.

About 5:45 a.m., he awakened to pounding on the door. He got a gun and went to investigate, Kelly said.

As he reached the back door, someone outside kicked it open. The intruder was yelling, Kelly said.

Rachels fired two shots. One hit the intruder, later identified as Cockran, Kelly said.

Cockran retreated to the carport and collapsed.

Rachels called 911 to summon police and paramedics, but before they could arrive, Cockran left Rachel's house and ran to his house, which is across a T-intersection at 12071 Constance St., Kelly said.

Paramedics couldn't find him when they arrived, but Cockran was found outside his home a few minutes later and paramedics returned to the scene, Kelly said.

Cockran tried to refuse their aid, but they insisted that he go to the hospital. People at the scene of the shooting did not think his wound was life-threatening, but he died at Baton Rouge General Medical Center Midcity a short time later, Kelly said.

Kelly said police have no idea why Cockran would have kicked down Rachels' door.

Rachels, who was alone in the house at the time of the shooting, said he knew Cockran, who had worked for his lawn service. He said he suspects Cockran may have been impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Wednesday afternoon, Rachels said the horror of what had happened was just beginning to sink in.

"It could have been me," he said, expressing concern that Cockran had threatened others Tuesday night and had been wielding some kind of weapon in the neighborhood.

He said that everywhere he looks, the scene at the back door replays in front of him. The door being kicked open. His firing.

"It is surely not something I was ready to do," he said. "It's a tragedy."

Rachels said he has spoken to Cockran's sister since the shooting.

"My sympathy goes out to his family," Rachels said.

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