Two masked men, both with guns, forced their way in. One of the intruders grabbed Hoard and restrained him with a headlock. The second person, later identified as 23-year-old Dominque Scott of Taunton, left the room and began rummaging through another section of the apartment, prosecutors said.

Nicholas Hoard, 24, answered a knock at the door of his Hart Street unit around 8:30 p.m., according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III’s office.

A man shot and killed an armed intruder inside his Taunton apartment Monday night after wresting a gun from a second intruder, authorities said.

Hoard managed to break free of the headlock and grab the firearm away from the masked man, prosecutors said. Scott, reacting to the sound of fighting, returned and allegedly pointed a handgun at Hoard.


“While the suspect rummaging through the apartment was out of sight, Mr. Hoard was able to disarm the suspect who was holding him in a headlock,’’ prosecutors wrote in the statement. “The suspect rummaging through the apartment came back into the main area of the apartment due to the commotion of fighting and drew his firearm upon Mr. Hoard. Mr. Hoard shot the suspect, later identified as Mr. Scott, one time.’’

The shot fatally wounded Scott, prosecutors said.

Hoard remained on scene and was on the balcony of his unit when police arrived, prosecutors said.

He does not currently face criminal charges, but the investigation is continuing, prosecutors said.

The second intruder ran from the scene and is being sought by authorities.

A motive for the home invasion was not disclosed by authorities.

Officials said the incident was not related to the slaying of a woman whose body was found on Morton Street in Taunton around 6 p.m. Monday

The woman’s death was first reported by the Taunton Gazette.


John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.