GRAND RAPIDS, Mich– The Grand Rapids Police Department has a suspect in custody for the death of Douglas Barry, 69.
William Allen lives at 430 Adams Street In Grand Rapids, the home where the incident happened. He didn’t want to go on camera, but wanted to share what he saw Sunday night.
“I came in and there was a lot of noise and I was cooking something to eat. I called the Landlord and he came over. That’s when they found the guy laying in the road beat up,” William Allen, resident said.
He says once they found Barry in the road, they picked him up and brought him into the house.
“I said, that dudes in bad shape, even when you`re passed out you have some kind of reflexes and he was not responding. I use to be an EMT and I said you want to call an ambulance and that`s when they came and took him away,” Allen said.
Barry was taken to the hospital, but didn’t survive.
Allen says he believes Barry was there visiting some friends. He says they were drinking, and he thinks the person that Barry was visiting beat him up, in an attempt to rob him.
Barry says the home is used as a halfway house, and is meant to help ex convicts get back on their feet after serving time in jail.
“They call is a reconnect house, you’re suppose to come here after being locked up, and get a job and pay rent. They try to help you go to NA go to church whatever and unfortunately not everyone is on the same page trying to do the right thing,” Allen said.
Allen says Barry was talking about how he was a Vietnam veteran, which makes something like this even harder for him to handle.
“It really messes me up, because I have a lot of heart for women and older people because I was raised with a lot of respect, and to see an older guy that fought in the war being treated like this is kind of sad,” Allen said.
A suspect has been arrested and is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, but police have not released the suspects name.
