INGHAM COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — He’s spent his life giving back to God, but Wednesday morning must have felt like a living Hell as Pastor Billy Allen struggled to undo the duct tape used to hastily tie his hands and feet.
Allen, the pastor of Good Shepherd Mission, said two men stormed his mission early Wednesday morning. He thought he heard a mouse and was rolling over in his bed to see what happened when the first man tased him. He fought back kicking the smaller of two men repeatedly, but the punishment continued as they demanded money.
“I’m old and I’m tired,” Allen said. “I’m just asking God to intervene."
Allen was sleeping in Nehemiah House, the mission he started alongside the church he built nearly 20 years ago. He took on the role of pastor after a life as a nurse, and work in foster home. Now 70-years-old, he is questioning how people could attack him in such a way. According to Allen, he’s been attack before — in the past by some of the very men he’d help clothe and shelter. He always turned the other cheek too.
“I feel like I can no longer do it,” he said looking exhausted, tears fresh in his eyes. “They’ve robbed me before, but this is the first time they tased me.”
He added that they held guns, before trailing off. That’s what the men warned him repeatedly as they beat him, that someone else had a gun pointed at him. Since he was startled awake and the television was playing in the background in the early hours of Wednesday morning, he couldn’t get a good look at them, but they knew his name.
The Ingham County Sheriff put out a bulletin on Facebook requesting help finding the individuals responsible, but declined to return calls for information. Online they put out a call for information to be left with Detective Buckland. You can call him at 517-676-8255.
As for Allen’s family, they’re grateful that he even survived the ordeal. His daughter notes that it’s better to be taking care of him tonight, than planning a funeral. All of that said, they’re still hopeful.
“He’ll take this and make something good come of this,” said Kerri Allen. “You just have to know Pastor Billy. Good will come of this.”
True to her word, Pastor Billy said moments later that a young man needing help reached out. He said it made it worth all the pain he endured — a strong statement from a man whose shirt had hours earlier had a hole burned in it from multiple taser shots to the chest.
Despite the cheer, he did say he was angry, he wouldn’t deny that. His family is already putting together a $2,000 cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.
“The old prophet is angry,” he said. “I will prosecute.”
