Family asks cops to check on 74-year-old vet after surgery, and they break in and kill him.

pathetic. when are these trigger-happy moronic apes going to start getting dealt with in a manner befitting any other repeat offender?

"State officials in North Carolina have launched an investigation after a police officer in Gastonia shot and killed a 74-year-old man while performing a welfare check.

Gastonia police Chief Robert Helton explained at a press conference on Sunday that a family member had asked officers to check on James Howard Allen on Saturday afternoon, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Helton said that Allen’s family had asked for the welfare check because the 74-year-old veteran had recently undergone surgery."

xrepublic.tv...

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
pathetic. when are these trigger-happy moronic apes going to start getting dealt with in a manner befitting any other repeat offender?

"State officials in North Carolina have launched an investigation after a police officer in Gastonia shot and killed a 74-year-old man while performing a welfare check.

Gastonia police Chief Robert Helton explained at a press conference on Sunday that a family member had asked officers to check on James Howard Allen on Saturday afternoon, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Helton said that Allen’s family had asked for the welfare check because the 74-year-old veteran had recently undergone surgery."

xrepublic.tv...

Pretty tragic death there. Wonder why the family didn't swing by to check on him themselves? Are they not in the area or something? Story lacks a lot of info, but sounds as if they just executed someone.

a reply to: RoScoLaz4

"But we don't have all the facts yet"

"We don't know what happened before they shot this 74 year old man"

"He was a lethal threat that had to be neutralized"

"He should have checked in and this would have never happened"

Queue the in-house apologists...

If the family were so concerned about the old fella's well being (because he just had Heart Surgery) why didn't they nip round to check on him.

This sounds to me like the Old fella might have been acting a little strange so the Family called the cops.

a reply to: real_one

Are you suggesting it was cold blooded murder, though?

Did the cop enter with intent to kill? Like a murderer?

Or was he a bitch that was scared because the big bad 74yr old war fighting man had a gun in his home or on his person?

There's no details yet, but there's always a story.

And don't think I'm an apologist because I dislike police greatly, and have had personal issues with them involving personal events before.

a reply to: RoScoLaz4

How many more of these incidents before people can finally admit that it's more than just a "few bad apples"? I definitely acknowledge that there are individuals who are good officers, but most police Departments as a whole are a corrupt system serving the corporate elite and their interests, not to protect and serve the tax payers who pay their salaries.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
If the family were so concerned about the old fella's well being (because he just had Heart Surgery) why didn't they nip round to check on him.

This sounds to me like the Old fella might have been acting a little strange so the Family called the cops.

Why does it sound that way to you ? Please explain from the facts given why you have come to this nonsensical conclusion.

From the information given in the news clip (did you even bother to watch it ?) he more than likely was acting in self defense as the police just walked in through the back door.

According to a search warrant, police claim the 74-year-old approached both police and firefighters holding a gun after they made entry into his home.

www.wsoctv.com...

a reply to: r0xor

Are you suggesting it was cold blooded murder, though?

In my opinion, this clearly defines the definition of murder.

I do not recall saying it was "cold blooded".

That being said, trigger happy jack boot thugs are not known for their warmth...

There's no details yet, but there's always a story.

There are details though...a police department was contacted to perform a welfare check on an elderly man who just had surgery and they shot him. That's very telling in my opinion.

originally posted by: Soloprotocolsounds to me like the Old fella might have been acting a little strange so the Family called the cops.

sounds like cops killed another innocent man after busting down his door and finding themselves (absolutely justifiably) being confronted. as i said, pathetic.

originally posted by: real_one
a reply to: RoScoLaz4

"But we don't have all the facts yet"

"We don't know what happened before they shot this 74 year old man"

"He was a lethal threat that had to be neutralized"

"He should have checked in and this would have never happened"

Queue the in-house apologists...

Don't forget the people who think all military personnel and vets are murderers and rapist. They will be along to side with the cop as well.

originally posted by: real_one
a reply to: RoScoLaz4

"But we don't have all the facts yet"

Yea, may as well assign guilt, dispense any punishment, ensure the penalties are sever enough, and if we have time later, we can ask a few questions.

This case sounds awful. And it may well be that this officer just had an itch to kill someone that just wouldn't wait.
But is there some sort of prize to be the first one to condemn the accused? To hell with critical thinking, to hell with finding out why, just assign blame, paint the rest with the same brush and move on.

For the very, very few who are interested in researching facts before the lynching, there is this:

Timeline of events on Saturday, Feb. 7.
10 p.m.:
Family of James Allen asked police to conduct a welfare check on Allen.
Anson County officials contacted the Gastonia Police Department to conduct the check.
10:20 p.m.:
An officer went to Allen’s home on Mary Avenue. There was no answer when he knocked on the door.
11:08 p.m.:
Anson County started a check of local hospitals. They could not find Allen.
11:30 p.m.:
Police called for County EMS and Gastonia Fire Department about a possible death inside Allen’s home.
Officer Lefevers announced his presence and entered the home.
Allen approached him with a gun and Lefevers shot and killed him.

www.wsoctv.com...

Which doesn't make anything alright, but does answer the question of why this was done at midnight.

originally posted by: sayzaar

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
If the family were so concerned about the old fella's well being (because he just had Heart Surgery) why didn't they nip round to check on him.

This sounds to me like the Old fella might have been acting a little strange so the Family called the cops.

Why does it sound that way to you ? Please explain from the facts given why you have come to this nonsensical conclusion.

No.

Pointing guns at the police very rarely results in a happy ending.

Whilst I can sympathise with the family, you also have to have some sympathy with the officer involved. I'm sure he thought it would just be a routine call, but when the guy didn't answer the door, what else were they to do?

If he was ill and couldn't get to the door and the officer left it at that, I'm sure the family would have been bemoaning the fact they left him. They were concerned enough to call the fire department and by the looks of it, smashing in the front door is a routine measure under these circumstances.

It all appears to be a tragic set of circumstances.

I'm sure most 74 year old men recovering from surgery would be asleep at 10PM, he may also have been on a pain medication from the surgery that caused him not to awake to the sound of someone knocking on the door.

I'd also assume that if he was eventually awakened by the sound of the door being kicked in that he would assume he is being robed. Hence the reason he was armed when the police confronted him.

I wonder how long, if it all, they waited when they saw he had a gun. I wonder if they even TRIED to calm him or alert him to the fact that they where law enforcement and not burglars.

a reply to: real_one
For me, it would be when it reaches at least 10% of the LEO force. So, according to the FBI, there were 698,460 law enforcement officers (in 2011).
source
So, 10% would be approx 70,000 incidents of this nature annually. Frankly, IMO the number is lower, much much lower.

The good news is that "State officials have launched an Investigation", so we should know all the facts real soon. Also if the officer did anything wrong he's sure to be convicted and punished for it.

So that's a small victory.

originally posted by: MisterSpock
I wonder how long, if it all, they waited when they saw he had a gun. I wonder if they even TRIED to calm him or alert him to the fact that they where law enforcement and not burglars.

They said he was standing there holding a gun.

"Announcements were made that police were on scene, he was challenged to lay the gun down. The gun was pointed at direction of officers and a shot was fired that fatally wounded him," said Gaston Police Chief Robert Helton.

www.wsoctv.com...

Well if the cops were obliged to check on his welfare.
And he was legally armed inside his own home.

They will be cleared of all wrongdoing, their safety is more important so they will have followed department procedures.

Not how these things should play out, but I understand why they do.


EDIT: Here is the local news piece on it.