Undercover shooting investigation frustrates residents

Mount Vernon residents say the lack of information has been unsettling after an innocent bystander was killed during a botched NYPD undercover operation last Friday. Police say 61-year-old Felix Kumi,

News 12 Staff

Sep 3, 2015, 6:34 AM

Updated 3,402 days ago

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Mount Vernon residents say the lack of information has been unsettling after an innocent bystander was killed during a botched NYPD undercover operation last Friday.
Police say 61-year-old Felix Kumi, of Mount Vernon, was killed Friday afternoon by stray bullets that came from the gun of an NYPD officer. The officer was shooting at a suspect after an undercover operation went awry.
Undercover officers are advised not to take action when possible, so as not to blow their cover. But an NYPD chief said this week that this officer had no other choice but to open fire.
That chief, however, did not explain why.
Some residents are also frustrated that state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman handed off the investigation to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
"There's still a lot of speculation but we would appreciate if we could get a little more information about really what happened," says Indrani Narine, of Mount Vernon.
Schneiderman has the power to investigate incidents where an unarmed civilian is killed by a law enforcement officer, but a spokesperson for DA Janet DiFiore said this incident falls within DiFiore's jurisdiction.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the executive order giving the attorney general special prosecutor powers in the aftermath of the death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by an NYPD officer.
Schneiderman has taken on one case so far: the death of Raynette Turner, who was found unresponsive in a Mount Vernon holding cell in July.
Some residents say the attorney general should have taken on this case, as well.
While the Westchester County DA's Office is investigating the shooting, the Mount Vernon Police Department is investigating the alleged robbery of the undercover officer that led to the shooting.