Kenneth Honest, 59, was stabbed to demise at a smoke store within the Bronx.
Tomas E. Gaston
A person was fatally stabbed after a brawl with an worker exterior a Bronx smoke store, in keeping with police sources.
The incident started round 12:30 pm Saturday on the Magic 7 Smoke Store at 174 W. Fordham Rd., cops mentioned.
A supervisor was carrying packing containers exterior when he ran into Kenneth Honest, 59, who apparently thought the contact was deliberate, sources informed The Publish.
Honest, who was strolling with a cane, then took a swing on the retailer supervisor, who has not been recognized, sources mentioned.
Because the supervisor and Honest tussled, one other smoke store employee allegedly got here from behind Honest, put him in a chokehold and stabbed Honest within the neck, police sources mentioned.
One of many males then grabbed Honest’s cane and allegedly beat him with it earlier than the employees went again contained in the store to name 911, the sources added.
The second employee, Vernon Gowdy, 54, was charged later Saturday with homicide, manslaughter and felony possession of a weapon, police mentioned.
Each Honest and Gowdy had rap sheets, sources mentioned.
Gowdy is a former Parks Division worker who has been arrested greater than 15 occasions and spent at the least 5 years in jail within the Nineteen Nineties, sources informed The Publish. He was arrested for exposing himself to a fellow Parks Dept. colleague in July 2011, police mentioned on the time.
Gowdy was additionally arrested in 2001 for the July 1991 slaying of Anna McCoy, however the case wasn’t prosecuted as a result of then-Bronx DA Robert Johnson mentioned there wasn’t sufficient proof.
Honest, who had no recognized deal with, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital the place he was pronounced useless, police mentioned. He had a rap sheet that included greater than 20 arrests, together with for circumstances of assault and weapons possession, sources mentioned.
The smoke store supervisor, who has not been recognized, and Gowdy had been each initially arrested of their retailer however police mentioned later Saturday that solely Gowdy can be charged.
Police sources informed The Publish that the stabbing didn't appear to contain self-defense, as within the case of NYC bodega proprietor Jose Alba, who was apparently stabbed whereas keeping off and fatally slashing a violent ex-con who attacked him on July 1.
Tylique Miles, 41, who hangs out within the neighborhood and infrequently sweeps up on the native outlets, recognized to The Publish the alleged stabber was an worker named Vernon.
Miles mentioned he’s by no means seen violence like this within the neighborhood.
“It’s traumatizing,” he mentioned. “We attempt to do every part we are able to to maintain the world secure, however then one thing like this occurs. We cope with a whole lot of addicts round right here — Crystal meth, coke, every part.”
Radhames Rodriguez, president of the United Bodega Employees of America, arrived on the scene at 3 p.m. and mentioned he’s frightened in regards to the quantity of violence that continues to have an effect on metropolis comfort shops.
“It’s very harmful out right here. We’re seeing a whole lot of confrontations,” he mentioned. “We’re already dealing COVID and inflation. All collectively, these items construct up and other people get offended. Its very unpredictable.”
Extra reporting by Maddie Panzer and Joe Marino
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