NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans police will not charge the homeowner who allegedly shot and killed a would-be intruder at his door early Friday morning in the French Quarter.
NOPD detectives returned to the 500 block of Dauphine Street in the French Quarter to view and collect security video from the scene of Thursday night’s shooting.
According to the overnight police report, the homeowner heard banging on the door of his residence, retrieved a gun and opened the door.
Police say the man who was banging on the door entered the home and lunged towards the homeowner, who then shot him.
The alleged would-be intruder died at the scene.
Andrew and Katherina Thompson from Augusta, Georgia are staying at a nearby hotel.
“We had no idea what was going on,” Andrew Thompson said. “They just blocked off the street to the hotel and we watched a little bit and everything seemed to be safe and taken care of.”
We spoke briefly with the homeowner who said he was involved in the shooting. He told us that he is not from New Orleans, but has lived in the French Quarter for about 10 years.
He was distraught and said “this is not why I’m here.”
For now, police do not plan to charge him with a crime.
Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino said, in Louisiana, if someone is trying to break into your house and shooting them is necessary to prevent entry, that is justifiable homicide.
“The stand your ground doctrine as it's called, he doesn't have to retreat,” Ciolino said. “The homeowner's home is his castle and the Castle Doctrine as it's called gives that homeowner the right to shoot and kill in self-defense and in defense of property.”
One neighbor told the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate that the man who was killed appeared to be severely intoxicated and was seen pulling on the door handles of other buildings on Dauphine Street before the shooting.
“I believe my husband would have reacted the same way, but I just feel sad for the homeowner because now he has to live with this the rest of his life,” Katherina Thompson said.
“I just always expect things like this to happen in New Orleans and I'm not surprised. I'm just glad no one else was hurt,” her husband added.
New Orleans police are still investigating the shooting. The Orleans Parish Coroners Office has not identified the man shot and killed.