On the evening of May 11, 2007, in the small town of Franconia, New Hampshire, a routine traffic stop escalated into a tragic and violent encounter that ended two lives. Cpl. Bruce McKay, a 48-year-old Caucasian male and a twelve-year veteran of the Franconia Police Department, was on duty when he pulled over a vehicle for speeding. The driver was 24-year-old Liko Kenney, a local resident with whom McKay had previous negative encounters, including a prior conviction for assaulting the
officer.
What began as a traffic stop quickly turned volatile. Kenney, refusing to comply, fled in his vehicle, leading McKay on a short pursuit. After forcing Kenney's vehicle off the road, McKay attempted to take him into custody, deploying pepper spray. In response, Kenney produced a. 45 caliber handgun and shot Corporal McKay multiple times. Not stopping there, Kenney then used his car to run over the fallen officer. The brutal attack was witnessed by a passerby, a former Marine named Gregory W. Floyd, who was driving with his son.
Seeing the horrific events unfold, Floyd took decisive action. He positioned his own vehicle to shield McKay from further harm. While his son used the police radio to call for help, Floyd retrieved McKay's service weapon. He confronted Kenney, ordering him to drop his weapon. When Kenney refused to comply, Floyd shot and killed him. An autopsy would later confirm that Corporal McKay died from four gunshot wounds.
In the aftermath, the actions of Gregory Floyd were investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General's office and were ultimately deemed justified. No charges were filed against him for the shooting of Liko Kenney. The incident sparked considerable debate within the community, highlighting a history of animosity between McKay and Kenney. Years later, the father of Liko Kenney filed a civil rights lawsuit against McKay's estate, the town of Franconia, and Gregory Floyd, though the claims against the town and police were ultimately dismissed due to a lack of evidence of any constitutional violations by Officer McKay.
