A North Carolina family asked Gastonia police to check in on a family member who was recovering from surgery. In an ideal world, this would be a wonderful service to be performed by police with a grateful community that would offer them thanks.
Unfortunately, these notions have nothing to do with the business model of modern day policing, which does not serve those it views as its enemy. Indeed, although it might be the public that helps keep the coffers full by various means, it is a public still viewed as the number one threat by the police who benefit from them - by various means.
By that concept, it should come as no surprise that the older man they were called out to check on was the very one they senselessly killed that day.
This past Saturday afternoon, the family asked for a welfare check on 74-year-old James Howard Allen, a Korean War veteran, as he was recovering from heart surgery. The officer first visited the house that night at 10:20 p.m. with no answer.
So of course the next line of action would be for Gastonia police to gather the fire department emergency medical services to bust into the home at 11:30 p.m. The chief said Officer Josh Lefevers announced himself before going into the back door and the officer alleges that Allen was pointing a gun.
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I see.....a 74 year old man, recovering from heart surgery, doesn't hear someone knocking on the door at 10:20 pm? Maybe he heard, but was too tired (or maybe fast asleep) to see who in the hell was at his house a couple of hours before midnight?
ReplyDeleteDo the police have ANY common sense?
And if the old man was hard of hearing (at 74?? no way....) and saw someone kick his door in (the BACK door! where burglars like to come in, too, by the way), he has EVERY RIGHT to point a gun.
ANOTHER murder. Where are the donuts?
This is almost comically tragic. The shoot first and ask questions later mentality isalmost jsutified if the cop was in some dark alley some where. But he was checking to seeif the guy was ok. And, he ended up killing him. Unbelieveable.
ReplyDeleteeasily justified shooting. Stop pointing guns at police. pretty simple.
ReplyDeleteeasily justified? You confuse and old guy by breaking into his home and then you shoot him. What is justified by every gun owner in the country si that when you break nto my house I am going to shoot you. Just ask the NRA.
ReplyDeleteA "wellness check" at my house after dark will get you shot real quick in a hurry.
ReplyDelete12:37....God help us if you're a cop...
ReplyDeleteand if you are, why don't you come by tonight about 10:30 and check up on me? I'm not feeling so good. Come on in through the back door, too. I'll leave it open for you.
Bring some friends if you'd like.
Not real good friends, though, if you know what I'm saying....
I dont care if you are 2 or 82 point a gun at me you lose. Sad story but it is what it is.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePhone call anyone?
Run your siren and flashing lights?
Bullhorn?
Nope, break in with guns drawn.
Unbelievable! And the stories of like encounters continue to accumulate. Do these departments do any training on current events?
The article might leave quite a bit to be desired in the way of pertinent information. You have to research this topic to find other news articles. I am certainly not siding with the police blindly, BUT: 1. perhaps the reason that they attempted the check welfare at that hour was because that is when the family called it in. Maybe the family always make a 10pm phone call to their sick relative, and when he did not answer, given the fact that he had recently had surgery, they were concerned for his welfare and wanted to police to check on him. If the police had refused to check on him, except during normal waking hours (let's say for instance 7am to 9 pm) and he was found dead in the floor the next day, who would be to blame then? Can you reasonably believe that the police received the call at 5pm, but wanted to wait until 10 pm, so that they would have a better chance to shoot someone? 2. Although not stated in the article, since the family felt that they had to call the police to check on the gentleman, one can easily assume that they had called him first, and upon not receiving an answer, called LEF. If they lived close to him, why could they have not visited him? 3. They went to the backdoor. Ok. Maybe the police had received information from the family that the gentlemen did not have easy access to the front door, that it was blocked by furniture, that he might not be able to hear knocking at the front door, or that simply everybody always uses the backdoor when they visit and that that is where they should respond. Maybe the police had already attempted to summons him from to the front door without success. 4. When they responded the second time, they brought Fire and EMS with them. Have you ever seen either respond to a call for service without using their sirens, or at least lights? Ok, someone is going to comment about them making a lunch run around town, but I mean a call for service. 5. Although not stated, the police were probably in uniform and the firefighters likely in turn-out gear, neither of which are typical attire for burglars 6. One article states that the officers identified themselves as the police and that the gentlemen approached them, pointing a gun. I wonder if the police and firefighters stood in a darkened area, lying in wait for the man, if they had barged in "SWAT Style" and went threateningly to his bedroom, or if they had remained in a mudroom, vestibule, kitchen, etc. and called for him from there. Was it lighted or not? 6. An article said that the man pointed the gun at the police and firefighters. It would be interesting to see if the fire fighters' accounts of what happened are the same, or I guess they can be lumped into the same category and are just covering for their "brothers in blue." 7. Although I am going to get called out, bashed, called names, etc, I do, in fact, believe that "every man's home is his castle," and that he has the right to defend that castle with deadly force, if necessary; that "an armed society is a polite society" and that many wrong doers would think twice if maybe their intended victims were armed; and finally "God made all men, Samuel Colt made the equal." 8. Maybe the police were totally wrong here and maybe they should held accountable. Maybe it was a tragedy that should not be repeated and ought not be repeated, via better training and tactics. Maybe the police really did handle it appropriately and an unfortunate tragedy occurred. All I am saying is a lot of opinion, but MAYBE not a lot of fact.
ReplyDeleteMost citizens that have to "point a gun" DO NOT want to take anyone's life.
ReplyDeleteThey hesitate, normally.
Police believe their FIRST option is to protect THEMSELVES (NOT their job description) and be able to go home after their shift.
So they are perfectly willing to blast away at shadows, children, unarmed people, and anything that scares them.
The BIGGEST girlie-boys on the planet.
Murder, Inc.