NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers repeatedly fired their guns at a New York City man who had called 911 during a mental health crisis as his mother and younger brother begged officers not to shoot, bodycam video released Friday shows.
Win Rozario’s family called on the officers to be fired and charged with murder after the footage of the killing was made public by the state’s attorney general.
“The video that was released makes it clear that Win should be alive but the police came and murdered him in our kitchen without any care for him or us,” said a statement from Rozario’s mother, brother and father. “The police created a crisis and killed him in cold blood.”
Attorney General Letitia James released footage from body cameras worn by Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco as part of an investigation into the March 27 slaying in the family’s home in Queens. The attorney general is required by law to review any fatal encounter with law enforcement.
Police commanders at the time said the officers had no choice but to shoot Rozario when he came at them with a pair of scissors.
The scene depicted in two body camera videos is more complicated.
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Police arrive at the family’s Queens home shortly before 2 p.m. and are greeted at the door by Rozario’s 17-year-old brother, who says his sibling is “having an episode” and doesn’t know what he is doing.
The officers enter the house. Rozario, standing in the kitchen, grabs a pair of scissors from a drawer then takes a few quick steps toward the officers, prompting one to fire a Taser. Rozario’s mother holds onto him protectively, then wrests the scissors away.
The officers shout at the mother to let go of him, using a profanity as they order her to get out of their way.
“Don’t shoot,” the mother, Notan Ava Costa, tells officers after she sets the scissors on a chair and steps aside.
The situation quickly escalates as officers fire their Tasers again, and Rozario picks up the scissors and walks toward them. One officer then fires a handgun. It is unclear whether Rozario is hit. His mother rushes to him, followed by her younger son, who tries to pull her away.
“Please do not shoot my mom!” Rozario’s brother cries.
“Get her out of the way!” police shout. Rozario’s mother and brother fall to the floor.
With the brother still holding onto his mother, Rozario, scissors in hand, appears to take one step toward police and is shot. He stops advancing. Three more shots are heard, each about a second apart, as Rozario flinches and staggers, his arms at his side but still holding the scissors. Eventually he falls forward to the floor.
“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” his mother cries.
The NYPD said in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation. The officers are on modified assignment, meaning they are not carrying a firearm, the statement said.
Chief of Patrol John Chell defended the officers’ actions, saying during a news conference on the day of the shooting that “this case was chaotic, fast-moving, and they had to defend themselves.” He said both officers had deployed their Tasers but did not say whether they both fired their guns.
Rozario’s family, in their statement, said “It’s been over a month since we lost Win and our hearts are broken. We feel his absence every day.”
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