James Wade Allen came to Raleigh to study at North Carolina State University. He left college to join the Raleigh Police Department in 1966.

On Thursday, December 5, 1968, Officers Lee and Allen were called to help two detectives with a narcotics arrest. As the officers approached the intersection of Yadkin and Currituck Drives, Officer Lee attempted to veer to the right to miss an oncoming vehicle. Instead, his police car was struck and slammed into a utility pole.  Both officers were thrown from their vehicle.  Lee died soon after arriving at Rex Hospital.  He was survived by his wife, Lorena "Jackie" Blalock Allen, his parents, and a sister.

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