The New Rochelle Police Department has released a timeline of events concerning the shooting of Kamal Flowers on June 5. Flowers was shot and killed by the NRPD following a chase and pursuit through the City. .
• June 3, 2020, at 5:48 pm, New Rochelle Police Department received a complaint of a suspicious Black Dodge Charger with Virginia license plates driving around the Heritage Homes property. The vehicle left the area and was not stopped by officers that day. (Transcript of phone call to NRPD to be provided).
• June 5, 2020, at approximately 10:54 pm two uniformed officers on patrol in an unmarked police car observed a Black Charger with Virginia plates and began to follow it. The car committed traffic infractions and the officers stopped it on Pierce St. near Potter Ave. The car stop can be seen on video obtained during the investigation.
• As the officers exited their patrol vehicle and approached the car, a passenger in the Black Charger exited the vehicle and fled eastbound on foot towards Potter Ave. Both officers began to pursue the subject on foot, as the officers approached Potter Ave on foot the Charger took off eastbound on Pierce St. and left the scene. One officer continued to pursue the subject who fled, the second returned to the police car. The foot pursuit continued from Pierce St across Potter Ave and eastbound on to Sharot St.
• The first officer on foot called out the pursuit over the police radio (audio previously released), and during his radio transmission broadcasted that the subject had a gun.
• At some point during the foot pursuit the first officer deployed his Department issued Taser two times. The Taser was ineffective in stopping the subject. From what we can determine at this time, the fleeing subject displayed a handgun at the officer in pursuit.
• The pursuit continued on to Sharot St where the first officer fired six rounds from his duty weapon, twice striking the subject who was later identified as Kamal Flowers.
• A 9-millimeter Ruger handgun, and a total of ten rounds of ammunition were located at the scene in close proximity to where Mr. Flower was lying on the ground. The gun was subsequently found to be defaced; its serial numbers had been scratched to obscure its identity. The gun is currently being processed at Westchester County Ballistics Unit.
• Other officers had arrived shortly and began to immediately provide first aid to Mr. Flowers until the arrival of the ambulance. Mr. Flowers was conveyed to New Rochelle Montefiore Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The ER doctors advised investigating officers that Mr. Flowers sustained one bullet wound to the upper torso, armpit area.
• NRPD contacted the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Both offices sent personnel to the scene and police headquarters that night to conduct a preliminary investigation.
• Both officers have been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The officer who fired his weapon is Alec McKenna, a five-year veteran of the NRPD.
• New Rochelle Police Department is being assisted in this investigation by New York State Police investigators, and members of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. The NYS Attorney General’s Office has advised that they will not investigate this incident any further as per Executive Law due the fact that Flowers was armed with a handgun during the incident.
• The Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting the postmortem, and have not released their final report at this time. They have advised the Assistant District Attorneys and investigators assigned to this investigation that contrary to what was initially reported by the New Rochelle Montefiore Hospital medical staff, Mr. Flowers sustained two bullet wounds. The second wound was located in Mr. Flowers groin area.
• Thus far the New Rochelle Police Department has released a photograph of the recovered 9mm Ruger handgun (below), and audio and video recordings related to the incident. A transcript of the June 3rd call will be released with this update. Police Officer McKenna’s personnel records will be redacted and released in accordance with the newly enacted state legislation relative to police reform.
• The Dodge Charger was located and impounded by the New York State Police.
• The Medical Examiner’s report is pending.
