On the afternoon of March 7, 2012, a sense of normalcy was shattered in a New Orleans home, culminating in the tragic death of 20-year-old Wendell James Allen. Allen, a Black male, was at his family's residence when members of the New Orleans Police Department executed a drug raid. He was resting in an upstairs room when the commotion of the front door being breached, followed by screaming and crying, drew him downstairs to investigate what was happening.
Unarmed and wearing only jeans
and sneakers, Allen descended the stairs into a chaotic scene. As he came down the stairwell, he was met by Officer Joshua Colclough, who fired a single, fatal shot that struck Allen in the chest, killing him instantly. In the aftermath of the raid, police discovered approximately 4.5 ounces of marijuana in the home. One of Allen’s siblings was subsequently charged with simple possession, but Wendell Allen himself was never charged or linked to the drugs found at the residence.
The shooting prompted an investigation and a federal lawsuit filed by Allen's family against the city of New Orleans for wrongful death and gross negligence. Five months after the incident, a grand jury indicted Officer Joshua Colclough on a charge of manslaughter. Colclough later pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to serve four years in prison.
In addition to the criminal proceedings, the city of New Orleans agreed to a settlement with Wendell Allen's family. Following a series of legal rulings, the city paid $250,000 to resolve the civil rights lawsuit brought by Allen's mother. A report by the Independent Police Monitor later found no evidence that the officers had announced themselves before breaking down the door of the house, which was filled with children at the time of the raid.
