Family of Kevin Allen, man shot by police in library, hires lawyer

The family of Kevin Allen, the man shot by police in the Lyndhurst public library Friday, has hired an attorney, the Bergen County NAACP told the Record.

Family of Kevin Allen hires attorney

Police shot Allen, 36, after an altercation on the third floor of the library. Allen “menaced” officers with a utility knife, Lyndhurst Police Chief James O’Connor said.

Officers shot Allen on the second floor of the public library. and transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Lyndhurst Police Chief James O’Connor said at a press conference shortly after the shooting, the report says.

The incident involved three officers, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said.

At least two people were treated for stress, he said. The chief also said investigators were interviewing several people, including a child, who were in the library during the confrontation.

He frequented the library

Allen reportedly was a regular at the library, which is adjacent to the borough police station, according to several people near the scene, the report says.

He was described as a quiet man who kept to himself and spent much of his time watching videos and listening to music at the computer stations. Allen’s family told Cureton, who is also president of the Bergen County NAACP, that they are waiting to get more information from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office before discussing the shooting publicly.