Jailed man is accused of shooting TV and threatening people

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 27, 2018

DARRINGTON — A man wanted on accusations that he kicked in the door at his neighbor’s home March 19, shot a television and menaced people with a rifle was quietly arrested Friday.

Lance “Doug” Cochran, 36, was the masked man who forced his way into a home in the 6200 block of 473rd Drive NE and opened fire, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office contends.

More shots rang out when an occupant confronted the intruder outside. Afterward, the man slipped away into the night.

The sheriff’s office last week publicly identified Cochran as the gunman and they asked for help in tracking him down. Officials emphasized that people should call 911 and that they considered the man armed and dangerous.

An eight-page probable cause statement filed in court Monday outlines some reasons for their concerns.

Cochran was wanted for investigation of second-degree assault and burglary. Investigators learned he was aware of the police search, court papers said.

At least one person claimed that Cochran had outfitted himself with a military-style rifle as well as a ghillie suit, a camouflage garment favored by snipers seeking to blend into their surroundings. He was said to have been lying in the woods, watching deputies conduct their investigation.

The man also was reported to be suffering from the combined effects of drug use and possible post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of military service. He reportedly told one person that he has “demons talking to him and that he is turning into a werewolf at night,” court papers said.

Investigators developed information on where Cochran might be. Patrol deputies found him Friday afternoon and he was arrested without incident, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.

Cochran was being held at the county jail in Everett on Monday, his bail set at $100,000.

Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.