Pleading guilty to killing a man trying to break up a fight, he’ll get 10 years in prison.

Five shots rang out during a fight between neighbors at a Baton Rouge apartment complex in 2020. And when the gun smoke cleared, 28-year-old Terrance Nealond, who was trying to break up the fight, was dead.

On Monday, Linwood Watson pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

Watson, 22, was originally indicted for second-degree murder in connection with the Dec. 14, 2020 homicide at the Fairwood Apartments in Mid City. He was expected to be tried for the killing in May and faced a mandatory life sentence if jurors found him guilty.

Instead, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and illegal use of a weapon in a deal with prosecutors.

In offering Watson the reduced manslaughter charge in exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors assured a negotiated sentence that District Judge Brad Myers signed off on. According to the deal, Myers sentenced Watson to 10 years for the manslaughter plea. He tacked on two additional years for the weapons conviction, but suspended that sentence in lieu of a three-year probationary period Watson must serve after he’s released.

Court documents show Watson lived at the apartment complex in the 3700 block of Eaton St. According to testimony at Monday’s hearing, he and his sister went to the apartment of Nealond’s sister, who also resided at Fairwood, and confronted her. Prosecutors said the two siblings caused a scene outside the apartment as they tried to bait the victim’s sister into a fight. 

When Nealond went downstairs to quell the confrontation, Watson fired five gunshots his way, Assistant District Attorney Mallory Richard said. Nealond ran toward the entrance of the apartment complex, where he died, according to prosecutors. 

Witnesses told detectives Watson and his sister ran to an SUV and fled the scene after the shooting. Watson later turned himself in at Baton Rouge police headquarters, and admitted to detectives he and his sister went to the apartment to fight. But he said Nealond was armed with a gun when he came downstairs to intervene and said he shot him in self-defense.

“He indicated that he believed Mr. Nealond had cocked his gun and that he became fearful for his life in that instant and the lives of those around him. And that was the reason he said he opened fire on Mr. Nealond,” Richard told the judge.

Video surveillance from the apartment complex showed Watson confront Nealond, who appeared to be holding a weapon when he approached the two siblings, Richard said. The footage showed Watson shoot at the victim. 

Nealond’s sister, Rokel, described her oldest brother as a “protector” who she looked up to as a role model. She told Myers the family wanted to put the deadly shooting behind them.

“We will always keep his name alive,” she said. “I am happy to be here today and I do understand that moving forward, me and my family will try to make the best out of this situation to keep my brother present.”