Who was James Allandale? AG releases video of police shoot out that saw murder suspect killed
MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY: A Morris County tactical police unit rammed through the door of a motel room in Montville's Pine Brook section on New Year's Eve. The raid killed James Allandale amid a hail of bullets, ending a four-day manhunt for the Denville resident, whom police had identified as the main suspect in an attempted murder case.
The Attorney General's Office released a video of Allandale's death on Thursday, February 9, the first time authorities recognized him as the deceased since the deadly raid was publicized more than a month ago.
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Who was James Allandale?
James Allandale, 61, of Denville, was the target of a massive law enforcement manhunt following an alleged attempted murder in Elmwood Park on December 27. According to News 12 Connecticut, the armed attacker, suspected by the police to be Allandale, entered a Lincoln Avenue home and shot a female victim, who survived despite her injuries, according to authorities.
According to a statement from the Attorney General's Office, that botched murder attempt resulted in members of the Morris County Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT) following Allandale to a motel on Route 46 with a warrant for his arrest. Authorities are yet to issue an official account of the shooting. Still, it was revealed that the attacker had intended to kill the victim, who was reportedly his romantic partner. But all the events finally led to his own bloody end at the hands of the police.
What was in video clip released by AG?
According to North Jersey.com, police in tactical gear are seen entering Allandale's motel room in a video released Thursday, February 9, recorded from body cameras worn by responding officers, with no other law enforcement visible outside. When the officers enter the room at the highway-side motel, a hail of gunfire erupts, as the two cops open fire on Allandale, who can be seen briefly wielding what looks to be a silver handgun before collapsing between a motel bed and the room's back wall. His girlfriend had reportedly fled across the street to her neighbor's house, terrified, when her assumed attacker was distracted.
When Allandale collapses on the ground, one officer continues firing bullets at his body before a voice shouts, "Stop fire. Stop fire. Man down.” According to Eyewitness News, the Attorney General's Office said in a statement, "A paramedic attached to the SERT was on scene to provide advanced life support, but Mr. Allandale was pronounced deceased at approximately 7:27 pm." Authorities reportedly recovered a firearm near the deceased as well. The incident is still being investigated by the state's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is responsible for investigating any death involving police enforcement under a 2019 mandate.