Two New York City police officers will not be charged in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man during a mental health crisis last year as his mother and brother begged officers not to open fire, state Attorney General Letitia James’ office said Thursday.
Win Rozario was shot five times by officers at his family’s home in Queens on March 27, 2024, as he came toward them while holding a pair of scissors, police body cam video showed. A person in the home had called 911 and told the dispatcher “I think my son is on drugs and acting erratically,” according to police.
The Office of Special Investigations in James’ office concluded in its report that “a prosecutor would not be able to dispute beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ use of deadly force against Mr. Rozario was justified and, therefore, will not seek charges.”
The report also said that the reasonableness of the fear that the officers, Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco, had when Rozario came at them with the scissors, could not be denied beyond a reasonable doubt. Both officers, however, still face an internal disciplinary process over allegations of excessive force by the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, as well as a lawsuit by Rozario’s family.
Rozario’s mother, Nottan Eva Costa, his father, Francis Rozario, and his Brother, Utsho Rozario, Criticized The decision not to prosecute the OFFICIALS.
“The cowardly decision of State Attorney General Letitia James not to indict NYPD Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi for killing our beloved son and brother, Win Rozario, feels like we are seeing Win killed again,” they said in a statement released by the Justice Committee’s group of lawyers.
“We were safe in our home until Officers Cianfrocco and Alongi came in and created chaos,” they said. “The NYPD should not be involved with people experiencing a mental health episode.”
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the family’s comments Thursday evening.
The Office of Special Investigations report recommends expanding citywide a pilot program that sends paramedics and mental health professionals as first responders to mental health emergency calls. It also recommends more training for officers on responding to such calls. And it says the state should enact a law that allows for public health-based responses to people experiencing a mental health crisis, alcohol use or substance use.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s platform includes expanding mental health services across the city, including having health professionals respond to mental health crises reported in 911 calls.
“Win Rozario’s death was a senseless tragedy that brought pain to so many New Yorkers, above all to his loved ones,” Mamdani said in a statement Thursday.
He noted that the officers are facing potential discipline and added, “What today’s decision does not change is our obligation to do everything we can to ensure this does not happen again, our commitment to delivering the social services New Yorkers deserve, and our investment in both genuine public safety and justice for all.”
After officers entered Rozario’s home, Rozario grabbed a pair of scissors in the kitchen and took a few quick steps toward the officers, prompting one of them to fire a Taser, body cam video showed. Razario’s mother then took out the scissors while holding on to him and the police ordered her to get out of their way, prompting her to pray “Don’t shoot” as she put the scissors on a chair and put it aside.
The situation then quickly escalated, with an officer firing a Taser again and Rozario picking up the scissors and walking towards the police. One officer then fired his gun at Rozario, whose mother ran towards him, followed by her young son, who tried to pull her away.
“Please don’t shoot my mother!” Rozario’s brother cries.
“Get her out of her mind!” shout the police. Rozario’s mother and brother fall to the ground.
The officers then opened fire again on Rozario as he walked towards them with the scissors.
Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association of New York City, a police union, said the attorney general’s office made the right call not to prosecute the officers.
“These police officers were put in an incredibly difficult situation and forced to make split-second decisions based on the risks to everyone at that scene,” he said in a statement.