Two New York Metropolis law enforcement officials will not be charged in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man throughout a psychological well being disaster final yr as his mom and brother begged the officers to not open fireplace, state Lawyer Normal Letitia James’ workplace stated Thursday.
Win Rozario was shot 5 instances by the officers at his household’s residence in Queens on March 27, 2024, as he got here at them whereas holding scissors in his hand, police physique digicam video confirmed. An individual within the residence had referred to as 911 and instructed a dispatcher “I feel my son is on medication and is appearing mad erratic,” in keeping with police.
The Workplace of Particular Investigation in James’ workplace concluded in its report that “a prosecutor wouldn’t be capable to disprove past an inexpensive doubt that the officers’ use of lethal power towards Mr. Rozario was justified and, due to this fact, won’t search costs.”
The report additionally stated that the reasonableness of the worry the officers, Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco, had when Rozario got here at them with the scissors couldn’t be disproven past an inexpensive doubt. Each officers, nonetheless, nonetheless face an inside self-discipline trial on extreme power allegations by town’s Civilian Criticism Evaluation Board, in addition to a lawsuit by Rozario’s household.
Rozario’s mom, Notan Eva Costa, his father, Francis Rozario, and his brother, Utsho Rozario, criticized the choice to not prosecute the officers.
“State Lawyer Normal Letitia James’ cowardly choice to not indict NYPD Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi for murdering our beloved son and brother, Win Rozario, looks like we’re watching Win get murdered another time,” they stated in an announcement launched by the Justice Committee advocacy group.
“We have been secure in our residence till Officers Cianfrocco and Alongi walked in and created chaos,” they stated. “The NYPD shouldn’t be partaking with folks experiencing a psychological well being episode.”
The lawyer basic’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for response to the household’s feedback Thursday night.
The Workplace of Particular Investigation’s report recommends increasing citywide a pilot program that dispatches paramedics and psychological well being professionals as first responders to psychological well being emergency calls. It additionally recommends extra coaching for officers on responding to such calls. And it says the state ought to enact a legislation permitting public health-based responses to folks experiencing a psychological well being, alcohol use or substance use disaster.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s platform consists of increasing psychological well being providers throughout town, together with having well being professionals reply to psychological well being crises reported in 911 calls.
“Win Rozario’s dying was a mindless tragedy that introduced ache to so many New Yorkers, most of all his family members,” Mamdani stated in an announcement Thursday.
He famous the officers are going through potential self-discipline and added, “What in the present day’s choice doesn’t change is our obligation to do every little thing in our energy to make sure this doesn’t occur once more, our dedication to delivering the social providers New Yorkers deserve, and our funding in each real public security and justice for all.”
After the officers entered Rozario’s residence, Rozario grabbed a pair of scissors within the kitchen and took a couple of fast steps towards the officers, prompting one in every of them to fireside a Taser, the police physique digicam video confirmed. Razario’s mom then wrested the scissors away whereas holding onto him and police ordered her to get out of their method, prompting her to plea “Do not shoot” as she put the scissors on a chair and stepped apart.
The scenario then rapidly escalated, with an officer firing a Taser once more and Rozario selecting up the scissors and strolling towards police. One officer then fired his handgun at Rozario, whose mom rushed to him, adopted by her youthful son, who tried to drag her away.
“Please don’t shoot my mother!” Rozario’s brother cries.
“Get her out of the best way!” police shout. Rozario’s mom and brother fall to the ground.
Officers then opened fireplace once more at Rozario as he went towards them with the scissors.
Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Affiliation of the Metropolis of New York, a police union, stated the lawyer basic’s workplace made the appropriate name in not prosecuting the officers.
“These law enforcement officials have been positioned in an extremely troublesome scenario and compelled to make break up second selections based mostly on the dangers to everybody at that scene,” he stated in an announcement.
