Eunice Police said 19-year-old Daricko Stevens walked into the police department shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday to inquire if there were any warrants against him.
Police then arrested Stevens in the shooting death of Oshae Doffney, 23, of Elton, that occurred about 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 1600 block of West Vine Avenue.
Stevens is charged with manslaughter and obstruction of justice.
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot said Stevens and Doffney were friends and the shooting occurred as they sat in Doffney’s vehicle in front of Stevens’ residence.
A third person was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, he said.
Fontenot said it is believed Stevens was working the action on a 9 mm pistol when a round went off striking Doffney in the chest and damaging vital organs.
Eunice Police received a call at 1:46 a.m. Monday from Mercy Regional Medical Center in Eunice that a gunshot victim had been brought to the emergency room.
Witnesses initially described the shooting as a drive-by, but investigators learned otherwise, he said.
Initially, the shooting was reported to have occurred from a dark-colored car, but that story unraveled as police investigated.
Investigators arrived at the hospital and met with witnesses and secured the victim’s vehicle and brought it to the Eunice Police Department for evidence processing, a news release stated.
Once evidence was gathered at the hospital, Investigators began to interview witnesses and began creating a time line of the events of the evening. Investigators learned that there was a gathering in a nearby city which resulted in fistic encounters between numerous individuals.
“Investigators were able to determine that the original story given by friends of the victim was fabricated and Investigators learned that Doffeny’s injuries were not sustained from a drive by shooting but in fact, was his friend that shot him,” the news release stated.
Fontenot said Stevens drove the victim to the hospital and discarded the pistol on the way. Police found the pistol in the median of U.S. 190 near the hospital, he said.
Stevens and the other person in the vehicle, who has not been identified, were questioned at the police department and released.
On Tuesday, police were prepared to execute an arrest warrant on Stevens, but he surrendered.
