William Dean Poole, 52, died at his Gastonia, North Carolina residence on March 16, 2015. A Navy veteran who served on the John F. Kennedy flight crew during peacekeeping actions in Beirut, Poole was born February 26, 1963, in Charleston, South Carolina, and was the son of Ivey Poole and Betty Clanton.

Earlier the same day Poole called the National Veterans Hotline, saying he intended to kill himself and asking that no one be sent to his home. Gaston County police officers nevertheless responded; according to their account, Poole fired at them first and officers returned fire, killing him. The shooting was treated as a police-involved fatality and investigators concluded the officers acted in self-defense. No arrests or charges were filed.

If anyone knew William Poole, his military service, or was in the area that day and saw what happened, please share information that might clarify the circumstances.