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Investigators said that Officer Alec McKenna, a five-year veteran of the New Rochelle Police Department, was the one who pulled the trigger, firing two shots into city resident Kamal Flowers after a foot chase on Friday, June 5.
According to police in New Rochelle, the department received a complaint on Wednesday, June 3 of a suspicious Dodge Charger with Virginia license plates that was driving around the Heritage Homes property, putting investigators on alert.
Two days later, at approximately 10:54 p.m. on June 5, two officers in an unmarked police car observed a Charger with Virginia plates and began following it. When the driver of the Charger committed a traffic infraction, the officers stopped it on Pierce Street near the intersection of Potter Avenue.
Police said that when the officers exited the unmarked patrol car and approached the Charger, a passenger in the car left and fled eastbound on foot in the direction of Potter Avenue, while the Charger sped away eastbound on Pierce Street.
One officer continued the pursuit on foot, while the other returned to the patrol car as the chase continued from Pierce Street, across Potter Avenue, and onto Sharot Street.
Investigators said that during the foot chase, the first officer alerted the department over the radio that the subject was in possession of a gun.
During the pursuit, investigators said that the officer chasing on foot fired his Taser twice at Flowers, which was “ineffective in stopping the subject.” At that point, Flowers allegedly displayed his handgun and pointed it at the officer, who fired six shots, two of which struck Flowers on Sharot Street.
At the scene, a 9mm handgun was recovered by investigators, and 10 rounds of ammunition were located in the area where Flowers was shot. Police noted that the handgun’s serial numbers had been scratched off to obscure its identity.
The handgun is currently being processed by the Westchester County Police Ballistics Unit.
Additional units responded to the scene of the shooting and provided first aid to Flowers until paramedics arrived. Flowers was transported to New Rochelle Montefiore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An ER doctor said that Flowers was fatally struck by a bullet in his upper torso near his armpit. The second gunshot was near his groin.
McKenna and the other officer involved in the chase - whose name has not been released - have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation into the shooting continues by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
According to police, the Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently conducting the postmortem, though the final results of that report have not been released.
Investigators noted that the Dodge Charger involved in the incident was later found by State Police and impounded.
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The department said that “as the investigation proceeds, we will stand down on further announcements unless significant new information becomes available.” The Medical Examiner’s report is pending as the investigation continues. Check Daily Voice for updates as new information is released.
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