NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Police Officer Alec McKenna, holder of one of the worst disciplinary records in the department, who shot and killed Kamal Flowers, was honored by the New Rochelle Police Department. Also honored was Detective Michael Vaccaro.
NRPD held their Memorial & Awards Ceremony at 9:00 am on Wednesday, October 6 at the Greentree Country Club. City officials, law enforcement officials, and families gathered to pay tribute to NRPD officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and recognize the accomplishments of department members.
The event, postponed due to COVID-19 from the traditional timing of Police Week in May, covered awards from both 2019 and 2020.
McKenna received a 2020 Commendation Award, a 2019 Commendation Award, 2019 Class C Citation and, ironically, a 2019 Lifesaving Award.
Detective Michael Vaccaro received a 2019 Four-Year Perfect Attendance Award and 2020 Five-Year Perfect Attendance Award, as well as two 2019 Unit Citation.
“This ceremony is both a somber reflection and a grateful tribute, in appreciation of the valuable work done by our department members past and present,” said Commissioner Robert Gazzola.
RELATED:
Alec McKenna – Kamal Flowers Archive
Michael Vaccaro – Malik Fogg Archive
It may be unwise to argue a point with someone who buys ink by the barrel, but you have no information that McKenna’s account of the moment of the shooting is inaccurate, either.
When you label him a “bad cop” aren’t you really inferring that he couldn’t be trusted to NOT shoot and kill Kamal Flowers in cold blood.
As to your major argument: Politicians and the people that work for them lying to the public? No. Really?
I’ve read your blog since the beginning because you write well, and you squeeze the people like Bramson and the sleaze around him who deserve it, when nobody else will. I enjoy the hell out of that. I know you’ve had a rough ride with City Hall and the NRPD. Is it possible that friction could color your view of this incident?
I agree that I have no information that McKenna’s account is inaccurate — or accurate. No one else does either. For this reason you will not see me taking a position on whether it was a clean shoot.
What I do know for an absolute fact is that the official narrative leading up to the traffic stop is a fabricated pack of lies.
I also know that Kamal Flowers was a dangerous, unpredictable, violent criminal. I did more, by far, than anyone to document his criminal history.
I am saying McKenna had one of the worst disciplinary records in the history of NRPD which is quite a feat as he had 5 years on the job. That is also a fact.
I cannot fathom why anyone would interpret my oft-stated position that I cannot evaluate the shooting itself because there is not information about the shooting as somehow being influenced by City Hall or NRPD. As to the rest, I am stating facts.
And all of this is true and some of it disturbing. But at the end of the day, pull a gun on a cop, any cop, even a cop with discipline issues, and it’s likely you’ll be leaving the scene in a body bag.
It’s just a fact.
We only have McKenna’s version of events and grainy video so none of us can know if McKenna’s account of the moment of the shooting is accurate. Not me, not you, not Hendo, no one.
What we do know is that the Police Commissioner, the Mayor and the City Manager all lied repeatedly about McKenna and the two day period leading up to the traffic stop on 6/5/20. We also know McKenna was investigated and received significant command discipline just months before he shot and killed Kamal Flowers for repeated misconduct involving traffic stops. And we know McKenna drew his service weapon on two 24 year old black people for supposedly making an illegal u-turn on a street where it is not illegal to do so.
I have extensively researched this matter and know more than most about it.
I have done more to document Kamal Flowers criminal history than anyone.
What you have here is a bad cop and a violent criminal. I do not see any basis to have an opinion on whether it was a clean shoot but it is indisputable that Schaller, Strome and Bramson lied repeatedly about McKenna and what led up to the traffic stop.
People are free to have whatever opinion they like about the actual shooting but they are not free to have an opinion on whether Schaller, Strome and Bramson lied because it is documented, incontrovertible fact.
No discussion will change that McKenna shot and killed Flowers but there is a discussion to be had on transparency and the NRPD.
To have any credibility Schaller, Strome and Bramson need to make clear public statements that what they said is/was not true and correct the record.
It is why the community police board is a complete joke. They cannot achieve any of the goals when NRPD is still lying about this matter.
Why did he lose his life? If Kamal Flowers had not pulled out his 9mm handgun during the chase, threatening the life of a duly sworn police officer, he’d be alive today.
But he would have been sent back to prison for parole violation. Convicted felons on parole are not allowed to carry a weapon. He knew that. He chose the way it went down. He brought it upon himself. The officer had the right to defend himself.
If anything it shows the training and qualification on the pistol range for police officers is inadequate. The training should require an officer to run for a length of time, and then acquire the target and fire. Standing on a static range line and firing from twenty five yards is simply not real life. The officer fired six rounds and only one was effective.
Why did the Mayor and Police Commissioner lie about the events leading up to the traffic stop? Why do they admit what they said was entirely false narrative about a traffic stop involving an officer who was investigated at the request of his supervisor based on concerns about that officer’s conduct of traffic stops. Why did the City Manager lie and say the police officer had never drawn his service weapon in the line of duty when he had less than 5 months prior. Why did the City and NRPD stonewall the production of public records that show the officer had 158 violations during a single 60 day period — most of them involving improper conduct involving traffic stops?
Why do people on both sides pretend the choice is binary when the facts show Kamal Flowers was a disturbed, violent criminal who boasted to police he was “always” carrying a gun and Alec McKenna was irresponsible, deceitful rogue cop who has/had the worst disciplinary record in the history of the NRPD.
It id not good/bad or bad/good its bad/bad
I am so done with this town cops running lights, not patrolling the bad neighborhoods, caught in the drug dealers. Kamal why did he have to loose his life how many more blacks gotta die. Where’s the punishment in all of this and he gets a medal like WTH. This is a disgrace and I too am a mother of a black boy that I have to remind what not to do cause I worry he might get killed. Justice for all evil crocked cops. All lives matters in the eyes of the cops.
Agreed
Preach amen🙏
Gave mike vaccaro a honor for being the city’s trash! Good luck nrpd. We can say there are good officers and then there are the really bad ones. Mike Carole deserves prison time for assaulting that young man. Better off giving parking enforcement an honor then a dirty cop. Why does nothing happen to the family when they break the law
The victims of his two felony robbery charges, 1st degree assault, and car jacking at gunpoint, might disagree with your assessment of his loving nature.
Whatever.
There could never be another Kamal Flowers . His heart/love was one of a kind . My family will always ignore ignorant people like you and continue to keep his name alive in a positive light .
PS. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you . Have a blessed day .
Tip-of-the-day for Kamal Flowers wannabes:
1.) When one is a convicted felon paroled from state prison, one might want to give serious thought to carrying a loaded firearm on ones body.
2.) When pursued by police down a dark street, whilst being ordered to stop, For-Any-Reason, it is unwise to brandish, show, display, expose, wave, produce, reveal, or in any other way, advertise that you have a weapon, to said police officer.
3.) when #1 and #2 are combined, it almost never ends well.
Be advised..