Citizen shoots cop-killer

[Story]

Updated:2007-05-13 11:17:28
Man Kills Cop, Runs Over Him With Car
Bode Miller's Cousin Then Shot Dead by Witness
By BEVERLEY WANG
AP

FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) - A cousin of skiing star Bode Miller fatally shot and ran over a police officer, then was killed by a passer-by who grabbed the officer's gun.

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Liko Kenney shot Cpl. Bruce McKay four times, then ran over him with his car after a traffic stop Friday night.

Gregory Floyd, who was driving by with his son, grabbed McKay's gun, then shot the 24-year-old Kenney when he refused to put his gun down, Ayotte said.

"This once again reminds of us of the difficult and dangerous work that is done everyday by the law enforcement of this state to protect each of us," Ayotte said at a news conference in Concord.

Authorities said McKay pulled Kenney over for speeding on Route 116. Kenney then took off, and McKay pursued him for about 1 1/2 miles before pulling his cruiser in front of Kenney's car and pushing it off the road.

The officer used pepper-spray on Kenney and his passenger then turned around, Ayotte said. That's when he was shot.

"Cpl. McKay's cruiser video confirmed for police investigating this case that in fact Mr. Kenney had discharged several shots at Cpl. McKay before running him over," Ayotte said.

Soon after, Floyd arrived and confronted Kenney while his son, also named Gregory Floyd, called for help using the officer's radio. Authorities have determined that his actions in shooting Kenney were justified.

An autopsy showed McKay died of four gunshot wounds. Autopsy results on Kenney were incomplete Saturday.

The 48-year-old McKay was a 12-year veteran of the Franconia Police Department and previously had worked in Haverhill. Survivors include a daughter, Ayotte said.

"It really tears at the fabric of the community and the fabric of the state," said Gov. John Lynch, who visited the town of about 900 residents Saturday. People paid their respects at the local police station, bringing flowers.

Ayotte said McKay had "prior dealings" with Kenney, who was convicted of assaulting the officer and resisting arrest in 2003. Kenney's uncle said the animosity between them was so great that if Kenney got pulled over by McKay, "he had the right to request a different officer."

"That's what I heard, that Liko requested a backup officer and that was when he was pepper-sprayed," said Bode Miller's father, Woody Miller.

The passenger in Kenney's car told police Kenney said something like, "Get another officer" just before speeding off after the initial stop, Ayotte said.

"But he refused to produce a license and registration to Cpl. McKay, which is standard operating procedure, and then just took off. So this is a situation where he obviously disobeyed a police officer," she said.

Woody Miller said his nephew claimed the officer once beat him during an arrest.

"They had a long relationship," said Miller, who operates an international tennis camp in nearby Easton. "There's been physical altercations between them before in the course of being arrested."

Bill Kenney, another uncle, agreed. "They had it in for each other."

Woody Miller said he last saw his nephew Friday morning, when Liko Kenney was on his way to work. He was running late, but he was in good spirits.

Miller said Kenney, who lived next door to him, didn't have a steady job, but often took work cutting firewood and picking fiddlehead ferns, a wild green that grows in the region and is considered a delicacy.

Bode Miller, who had bailed his cousin out of jail once, was on his way home to Franconia, his father said. In 2005, Bode Miller was fined $250 for going 83 mph in a 40 mph zone in his hometown of Franconia. According to an article published on Sports Illustrated's Web site, SI.com, Miller said he chose to contest the ticket "to try to get my fine reduced and to antagonize McKay."

Lynch ordered all state flags be flown at half-staff in memory of the officer. Franconia's Board of Selectmen released a statement saying that the town "mourns the tragedy that befell our community on the evening of May 11. ... We ask that you all embrace in your thoughts and feelings the families affected by this tragic incident."

It's the second time in less than a year that a New Hampshire police officer has been killed on the job. In October, when Manchester Officer Michael Briggs was shot in the head while investigating reports of gunshots in an alley. Michael Addison is charged with capital murder in the shooting.

Associated Press reporters Holly Ramer and Kathy McCormack contributed to this report.

[OneLungMcClung]

GET SOME. Thank God for someone with some cool underfire.


Terrible that the police officer was murdered.

[NineseveN]

A few take-away points from the article as it reads:

The cop should have called in for backup after the suspect sped off...and waited until back-up had arrived before pitting the suspect's car and backing him into a corner, ESPECIALLY based on the prior history. This is not a matter of procedure, but one of common sense and safety.

Pepper spray is not a good tool to use against someone that is fully committed to doing you harm. It will ward off the chest-puffers and curious predators, but it is absolutely no substitute for a gun. If you use pepper spray, I honestly believe that your gun should be out, because you just might have escalated the event by using it. If someone was angry and ready to hurt you before being sprayed, those that are truly intent on and capable of harming you will be much more irate...be prepared to take fire or sustain a violent attack.

This is a reminder that a gun in a private citizen's hand can be a useful tool to save not only their own life, but to end a felony in progress or a rampage.

[D-FENS]

Sounds like a bad cop and a bad kid all got taken care of at once.

All's well that ends well.

[KeithPA]

Sounds like there was a bit of animosity between those two families. No idea who Bode Miller is but it sounds like a family fued.

I wish the shooter had had his own gun when he shot him. Would have sounded just a tad bit better, but can't really complain.

[NineseveN]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...b-f1e0ef93a599

It doesn't exactly sound like the cop was a bad guy, just maybe a little rough on the younger crowd for a small town's taste...

[silverspoon220]

Well as a matter of speaking the other guy had no right to kill the man even thoguth he shot a cop he was a civian and had no legal right. I think he is the one who shoule be chares with murder. The only resonon he wasent cause he shot a cop and the authorities were all buddy buddy.

[KeithPA]

Last night Geraldo had a story about this. Unfortunately all I caught was the preview as I was too tired to stay up.

Not surprisingly (considering its Geraldo) he titled the story like "Bode Miller's family mourns their family's loss after confrontation with a police officer"

Can't remember if they rerun that today


ETA: Geraldo is on at 8pm EST the story was at the end of the show I believe.

[27hand]

Silverspoon,

I don't know that states policy about using deadly force but in Pa you (joe non leo) can in fact use deadly force to stop someone from killing someone else. It doesn't matter if the person being attacked is LEO or not.

27hand

[Justin]

Well as a matter of speaking the other guy had no right to kill the man even thoguth he shot a cop he was a civian and had no legal right. I think he is the one who shoule be chares with murder. The only resonon he wasent cause he shot a cop and the authorities were all buddy buddy.

Using that logic, if someone was raping your mother/wife/loved one, or was running you over with their car, you would not want someone to step in and shoot the perpetrator? Do you think it should be illegal to try to save someones life by shooting at a murderer with a gun who just killed a cop?
WOW