Community Demands Accountability After NYPD Fatally Shoots Mentally Ill Teen

NEW YORK (PIX 11) — Following the tragic death of 19-year-old Win Rozario, who was killed by NYPD officers last March during a mental health emergency, friends, family, and local residents have reiterated their demands for justice.

Candles and floral tributes were placed near a photograph of the deceased teenager as family and friends came together for a vigil on Thursday. Utsho Rozario continues to grapple with his brother’s passing.

If one of us had acted as they did, we’d be behind bars,” he stated. “No more double standards. We’re calling for the elimination of police involvement in mental health situations.

The authorities stated that Rozario experienced a mental health emergency on March 27 and dialed 911 for assistance. Police officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi went to the residence in Ozone Park where the family lived.

Body cam footage showed the minutes leading up to the shooting. Rozario could be seen in the footage walking to a kitchen drawer and pulling out a pair of scissors.

Before he could reach the officers, his mother, Notan Eva Costa, grabbed him and tried to pull him away. Nevertheless, both officers used their stun guns on Rozario as his mother kept holding onto him.

In the footage, she can be observed confiscating the scissors from him prior to Rozario reclaiming the scissors and making a lunge towards the officers. Following this, a gunshot echoed through the scene as the altercation persisted; law enforcement personnel instructed Costa to step aside before they ultimately fired upon Rozario.

Family members are urging the NYPD to dismiss the involved officers and requesting that Attorney General Letitia James’ office pursue maximum legal action against them.

At the conclusion of the vigil, they proceeded to the 102nd Precinct, carrying placards, shouting slogans, and calling for responsibility. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the family during the vigil.

“A whole year has passed,” Williams stated. “Yet nobody has faced discipline. The NYPD continues to handle such situations exactly as before. This is completely illogical. Eventually, we must reach a point where we’re frustrated enough and value these lives sufficiently to take a new approach.”

The NYPD informed PIX 11 that the case is still being looked into by the department’s Force Investigation Division, and the attorney general’s office likewise stated that their inquiry is continuing.

A representative of the family stated that they are currently seeking legal action against the city with the primary focus being to achieve justice for Rozario’s passing.

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