Family Requests Welfare Check for Elderly Veteran Relative; Police Kill Him Instead

Mary Battle

A concerned family is grieving after they requested a welfare check on an elderly relative, and responding officers shot the man instead.  The family of the man, identified as James Howard Allen, requested that Anson County make a welfare check around 10 p.m. on Saturday, said Gastonia (NC) Police Chief Robert Helton.

“Due to some medical issues he had had — some surgery he had recently — they were concerned for his well-being,” said Helton.

An officer visited the home of Allen around 10:20, but received no answer when he knocked on the door.  Anson County Sheriff’s Office asked that local hospitals be checked, but Allen was not found.  At that point, an officer returned to Allen’s home and spoke with neighbors, who said they had seen Allen the day before.  Allen’s car was in the driveway. A terrible decision was made around 11:30 p.m. to enter Allen’s home.  Neighbors report that police and firefighters kicked in Allen’s door:

“They done kicked the door in,” said [Ted] Campbell, upset at the shooting.

Chief Helton says the officer, Josh Lefevers, announced himself as police, but Allen confronted police with a gun.  Officer Lefevers shot Allen twice, and Allen later died. READ MORE