Paul Holland Cockeran III was charged with murder on Wednesday in North Carolina
A 16-year-old-boy has been charged with murder after allegedly getting into a fight with his good friend and putting him in a chokehold, killing him.
Paul Holland Cockeran III, 16, was charged with murder on Wednesday in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in connection with the death of his friend, 19-year-old Dillion Scott Allison.
Investigators say that the two teens were hanging out in a parking lot smoking pot at around 1am on Sunday, when Cockeran began teasing Allison about a fight that Allison had previously gotten into.
Allison became upset and left the parking lot, police said. But shortly afterwards, Allison went over to Cockeran’s house to pick up some clothing he’d left there, and the two go into a physical confrontation.
Dillion Allison (pictured) was hanging out with his friend Cockeran early on Sunday when the two got into a physical altercation. Police say Cockeran put him into a chokehold
During the fight, Cockeran put Allison into a chokehold from behind until he passed out, police said after interviewing Cockeran. No witnesses were present, the Wilkes Journal-Patriot reported.
Finding his friend unresponsive, Cockeran called 911 and attempted to perform CPR on Allison. Paramedics arrived on the scene and continued to attempt live-saving measures.
Allison was transported to Wilkes County Medical Center but did not regain consciousness. The teen was then airlifted to Wake Forrest Baptist.
Cockeran was initially charged Monday on felony charges of assault inflicting serious injury and assault by strangulation.
Investigators say that he fled to Michigan, where he was located and contacted by police. But Cockeran returned on his own to North Carolina, where he surrendered to police voluntarily on Wednesday evening.
On Wednesday, Allison was taken off of life support and died. Cockeran’s charges were upgraded to murder.
Allison is seen with a female family member. He did not regain consciousness before being taken off of life support on Wednesday
Cockeran is being held without bond in the Wilkes County Jail, housed separately from the adult inmates. His next court date was not immediately clear from online records.
Allison’s mother Jennifer Church said she was relying heavily on prayer and community support to get through the ordeal, and that she wanted to forgive Cockeran.
‘I just want to let him know that I’m not mad at him, and I do forgive him and I am sorry that he is going to have to live with that for the rest of his life,’ she told WFMY.
‘I really do feel like I have learned that no matter what happens in our lives it could always be worse. I know that sounds awful for me to say after I just lost my son, but it could always be worse,’ she said.
‘There are other families that go through things that are so much worse, so I keep focus on that and I also learned how to forgive,’