NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle Police Officer Alec McKenna brandished his firearm, threatening two black people in a vehicle, during a routine traffic stop five months before shooting and killing Kamal Flowers, according to an NRPD Use of Force Report seen by Talk of the Sound. The pair were detained by police for almost an hour then released with no criminal charges filed.
On the evening of January 11, 2020, McKenna claimed to have observed a vehicle make “an illegal U-Turn at the intersection of North Ave. and Lincoln Ave.” then followed the vehicle to Memorial Highway.
It is unclear from the report what traffic violation he could have observed. It is not illegal to make a U-Turn on North Avenue or Lincoln Avenue unless the area is marked by a “No U-Turn” sign. There is not a “No U-Turn” sign in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of North Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. There is none on Lincoln Avenue between North Avenue and Memorial Highway which is the route the vehicle traveled based on the report.
In the vehicle were two people, both 24 years old, one Male/Black and one Female/Black.
McKenna states he followed the vehicle to the Memorial Highway Traffic Circle then attempted to pull the vehicle over but “the vehicle would not pull over for a long distance” before “the vehicle came to a slow stop at incident location”. The incident location in the report is “North Avenue Overpass”.
The distance between the center of the Memorial Highway Traffic Circle and the center of the North Avenue Overpass is 250 yards, according to Google Maps. Not a “long distance”, especially considering the alternative would be to stop in a dangerous location, a traffic circle.
The driver of the vehicle was given Standard Field Sobriety Tests but “he did not show signs of impairment or intoxication”. At the direction of the shift supervisor, the driver and passenger were released. McKenna issued some undefined traffic summonses.
McKenna justified brandishing his weapon because the driver of the vehicle did not pull over quick enough and “was not listening” to his commands. How McKenna would know from his vehicle whether someone in another vehicle was or was not deliberately ignoring his commands is not clear from the report. McKenna states the driver told him he did not know McKenna was trying to pull him over (perhaps because the driver had not broken any laws?).
McKenna justified threatening the occupants of the vehicle with his firearm because, he claims, “for several minutes” the driver was not following his commands and movement from inside the vehicle was observed. Based on this he states, the traffic stop for an alleged and unsustained claim of an illegal U-Turn became “a felony stop”.
Police records of the event state it began with McKenna alone at 22:50:11 and that three other officers arrived on scene at 22:53:58 over an elapsed time of 3 minutes and 47 seconds which hardly seems enough time for McKenna to follow the driver from the intersection of North Avenue and Lincoln Avenue to the Memorial Highway Traffic Circle and then for the driver to travel a “long distance” and then for the driver to come to a “slow stop” and then for the driver to spend “several minutes” of “ignoring” commands.
Talk of the Sound filed a Freedom of Information request for “NRPD Use of Force Reports filed in 2020” in August 19. The records were improperly delayed but finally produced on October 20th.
NRPD provided a total of 7 Use of Force Reports for 2020. Missing without explanation is the 8th Use of Force Report for June 5, 2020, the night McKenna fired a taser and his firearm, ultimate shooting and killing Kamal Flowers. No explanation was offered by NRPD for the failure to produce this record.
The McKenna Use of Force Report from January and what is known from June stands in stark contrast to the other six.
On February 22nd, New Rochelle police responded to a report of man with a gun and brandished a fire arm.
On March 28th, New Rochelle police responded to a report of man with a knife and brandished a taser and a fire arm.
On April 2nd, New Rochelle police responded to a report of shots fired and brandished a taser.
On May 10th, New Rochelle police responded to a report of man with a gun and brandished a fire arm.
On June 19th, New Rochelle police responded to a report of shots fired and brandished a fire arm.
On August 27th, New Rochelle police responded to a report of man with a gun and brandished a fire arm.
By contrast, on January 11th, P.O. McKenna claimed he observed a traffic violation and brandished a fire arm and on June 5th, McKenna claimed he observed a traffic violation and brandished a taser and a fire arm before shooting and killing Kamal Flowers.
In 2020, force was used by New Rochelle police officers against 11 identified persons, all of them Black or Hispanic (6 M/B, 1 F/B, 4 M/H). The reports identify 23 New Rochelle police officers — including supervisors — almost all of them White (20 M/W, 2 M/H, 1 M/B).
Sorry, Clive..”Because you, yes you Mike commit crimes” must be a fantasy of yours. I’ve never committed a crime, and it’s my considered opinion that you don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about. And I never mentioned the word “blacks” as “criminals and violent”, that’s your conclusion. Look in the mirror.
And learn how to read.
In the meantime, you can call me racist all day long, It’s not humanely possible to care any less about what you think of me, than I do right now.
Here’s the deal, Clive, it’s real simple: “pull a gun” “show a gun” “display a gun” “brandish a gun” to a police officer in pursuit, and you’re going to be shot. It’s that simple.
ABSOLUTELY!!!! Driving while Black! Bird watching while Black! jogging while Black! Shopping while Black! Protesting while Black!!!! Add nauseum while Black!!!! Imagine the fear that they inspire while Black!!!! Thanks god for psychopaths with facist proclivities with gund and badges to protect punk ass bitches like you!!!!
You need to look in the mirror and soul search whom is the most violent and whom are the most lawless. Because you, yes you Mike commit crimes and the laws protection afford you safety does not make you innocent.
Your statement is dumb, illiterate, misinformed, self-serving and ultimately Racist. Yes I’m judging you as a racist, fact. As you’ve judge “blacks” as criminals and violent.
Gangsta’ Wanna-be Lesson #4:
When in foot chase with police, at night, on a dark street, do not “flash” “brandish” “expose” “show” “uncover” “exhibit” “display” or “reveal” your loaded handgun to pursuing police officer.
You will be shot.
End of lesson #4
When a officer approaches a vehicle they are at a disadvantage. Brandishing (wrong word) is a means for the office to protect himself during that disadvantage. Most have there hand on the grip while holstered. In a world without criminals they could hand out lollipops but we are chock full of people who by nature are in violation of the law. Flowers was NOT a alter boy he was recently released from prison as a felon on parole. If he was an alter boy he would still be breathing. Stop it already this is not a case of a racist cop hunting innocent black men. This is a case of a bad guy trying to avoid going back to prison for parole violation.
First, this article is about an incident in January 2020. You are both talking about two different incidents and conflating the Jan incident with the June 5 incident. So you are completely confused.
No idea why you think “brandishing” a firearm is a “wrong word” but that you would actually write that displays your overall ignorance. Brandishing a firearm in regards to use of force is EXACTLY the right word.
Let us look at numbers.
29% of the use of force incidents referenced in my article are about Alec McKenna brandishing his firearm.
75% of the use of force incidents are civilians calling police to report a person with a gun or knife, or shots fired.
25% of the use of force incidents are Alec McKenna claiming he observed a traffic violation (one of which is demonstrably false, the U-turn) but end with him brandishing a firearm.
McKenna brandished his firearm more than anyone and is the only one who did do not do so because civilians were calling in about weapons but ONLY because he CLAIMS he saw someone make an illegal U-turn (definitely a lie) or run a stop sign (almost certainly a lie).
He is also the only cop who discharged his weapon, the only cop who struck a person using his weapon and the only cop who killed someone.
So let’s not make it out that McKenna’s record is typical of NRPD officers. It is NOT.
Oh, and did I mention his original account of June 5 was contradicted by CCTV video and the NRPD “walked back” his original account then “disappeared it”.
As to how you know what is in the mind of Alec McKenna I think we would all like to hear more about how you know how he thinks. Until you explain that why should anyone care what you think about who is or is not a racist cop.
All law enforcement should take a lie detector test if a life is taken to see what he was thinking is he a undercover racists with a badge that’s how you were out the ones that want to shoot and kill us.Hook Them all up to it the truth would shock America
It sincerely looks and sounds like the man needs to visit a good shrink. The people need protection, from a good cop, not a monster!!
As usual they don’t pull over immediatly and keep there hands on the wheel and visible. Thats what you do. If I were a cop the first bad move forget about the color of the occupant I would shoot. I want to get home ok.
I think you are exactly the point — that people who think like you actually become cops. Thank goodness you never did.
This needs to stop white cops are killing Black men women an children an are getting paid to go sit at home while we as a whole suffer..What are we back to the Jim Crow days or worst? We are being murdered by the ppl who took an oath to serve an protect..All cops arent bad or racist.. But they are to afraid to break the code . i wonder wld it b easy if it was one of their love ones??Food for thought this needs to stop!!! BLACK LIVES MATTER just like every other color
I would not be satisfied until I see 33% blacks in all police stations across the world
Black people need to stop committing so many crimes and stop being so violent
Why Reply it doesn’t help … RIP Kamal Let go let God…. All bad cops Karma is a bitch!
He committed no crime, and use deadly force without being threatened with a weapon. He should be fired from his workforce and I feel so bad for the family! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Fucking WS cowardly racist pigs with guns and badges!!!! It ain’t about law and fucking order. It’s about racist abuse of human rights!!!!
NEW ROCHELLE IS GOING DOWN HILL. NRPD WAS ONCE ADMIRED BY BLACKS, WHITES AND THE HISPANIC POPULATION. NOW THEY’RE TALKED ABOUT AND LOOKED UPON WITH SO MUCH DISREGARD. WHAT A SHAME.
Rotted apples within the NRPD. These are the ones who give the descent hard working Officers a bad rap. The rotten apples will without any doubt set people up for crimes not committed. Then you go into the Court system and get played by corrupt Judges like Anthony Carbone. Having first hand experience with such corruption my wife and I fought back hard and kicked them in the balls. We watched Anthony Carbone recuse himself based upon our complaint filed for being a part of the scheme to manipulate the law for their own agenda. Let’s not forget the story broken by Bob Cox regarding the nightmare on Stevenson Blvd. I will say it gave my wife and I great pleasure in watching Anthony Carbone put his head between his legs and kiss the bench and our case goodbye that day. The discrimination by the handful presented is real and must not be accepted any longer. The Citizens of New Rochelle must take a stand. Finally, just because New Rochelle put a black Judge on the bench (Jared Rice), Uncle Tom does not represent Minorities in New Rochelle and they don’t have an equal chance either. After all as Councilman in the Minority Community he sucked at that too. Beware of the Court staff too. People like Lisa the court Attorney, Roberta and a few others. They too love changing Court documents against the People…
He was dying to shoot a Black man.
Let’s not forget ANDRE EVERETT shot in his own driveway right in front of his sister. He did his time. My family will never be the same.
A FUCKING TASER WAS NEVER FIRED… NEVER SHOWN IN THE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF EVEN BEING IN MCKENNA’S HAND…. FUCK NRPD