Inset: Joey Alexander (KRON/YouTube). Background: The Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, where Joey Alexander was allegedly shot and killed by Edmund Bowen (KPIX/YouTube).
A dedicated street ambassador in San Francisco, recognized for his daily crime prevention patrols, was tragically shot by a man wielding a shotgun. This incident occurred after he requested the individual to cease using drugs in front of a library, a place where children were present, according to local authorities.
“The suspect didn’t like that,” explained Jess Montejano, a spokesperson for Urban Alchemy, discussing the events leading to Joey Alexander’s death. The fatal shooting happened last Friday outside the San Francisco Main Library.
“They exchanged some words, [the suspect] pulled a shotgun out of his bag, and shot him in the torso,” Montejano recounted, according to local CW affiliate KRON.
Cops identified the suspect as 42-year-old Edmund Bowen.
Alexander, 60, had been working for UA as a street ambassador for two years following a 23-year stint in prison.
“That was his beat, in front of the main library,” Montejano said. “He showed up to work every day when it was his shift.”
Joey Alexander’s brother, Marvin Alexander, conveyed to the San Francisco Chronicle that Joey “enjoyed his job” and, like many other former convicts employed by Urban Alchemy, he aimed to positively impact the community as a street ambassador.
“He said you have to really know how to deal with these people,” Marvin Alexander said. “You can’t tell nobody what to do, you just ask them.”
Authorities report that children were present near the library when Joey Alexander intervened to stop drug use in the area. The suspect’s shotgun blast hit Alexander in the leg, leading to its amputation. He succumbed to health complications on Tuesday.
“It’s just so sad to me that you do all that time and come home … and then never have a problem until this one idiot comes along, and that’s all it ever takes, is one idiot,” Marvin Alexander told the Chronicle. “One nut comes by and pulls a stunt like that and kills my little brother. It’s just terrible.”
Court records show that police arrested Bowen on Saturday and booked him into jail on suspicion of homicide. He currently is facing a murder charge, per records.
“There’s definitely some fear amongst Urban Alchemy practitioners right now,” Montejano said. “It’s very easy to see themselves in Mr. Alexander.”
Ronald Carter, a close friend and Urban Alchemy worker who met Alexander while serving time at Ironwood State Prison in Riverside County, described him to the Chronicle as a “quiet and humble man who never raised his voice.”
“Everybody is going to miss him dearly,” Marvin Alexander said.
UA is known for working with the city in some of San Francisco’s roughest areas. Mayor Daniel Lurie sent out a statement Wednesday saying, “Our ambassadors dedicate their lives to the work of helping those on the street. Joey Alexander gave his life for it.”
