Raleigh police charge 3 men in killing of James Alston

Police have charged three men with the July 2 shooting death of a gang member turned community activist in Southeast Raleigh.

Raleigh detectives charged Ashton Traevon Champion and Christopher Rodney Jones Jr., both 21, with murder in the shooting death of James Elvin Alston III, 23, of Raleigh. Isaiah Freeman McFarland, 26, was charged as an accessory in connection with the killing.

Alston, the father of three children, was scheduled to speak at an anti-gang meeting at the Chavis Community Center hours after he was shot shortly before 4 a.m. in the 700 block of Quarry Street.

Witnesses said Alston’s prone body lay in the street, his head resting against the rear tire of a parked compact car riddled with bullets.

Despite the arrests, investigators have not yet disclosed a motive for the shooting or said whether Alston knew the accused gunmen.

Champion had been in custody at the Wake County jail under a $75,000 bail since July 17 after police charged him with possession of a firearm by a felon and felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, a jail spokesman said Friday.

In addition to murder, police charged Jones with assault on a female and battery of an unborn child.

Champion and Jones are being held without benefit of bail for the murder charges, the jail spokesman said.

McFarland was being held late Friday at the Wake County Detention Center.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Raleigh police charge 3 men in killing of James Alston."