The New York State Attorney General’s office is expected to open an investigation into an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of 24-year-old Michael Rosado, following a shootout with off-duty NYPD officers that also involved his 45-year-0ld father in the west Bronx early Sunday morning.
Rafael Rosado, the decedent’s father, was arraigned on Aug. 30 in Bronx Criminal Court on charges including attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal use of a firearm, and reckless endangerment.
Rosado’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 3.
In a statement to the Bronx Times on Wednesday, Democratic state Sen. Gustavo Rivera — who represents District 33 which includes the Tremont section where the fatal altercation took place — said that the timeline for the attorney general’s investigation, which is now required under state law, has not been announced.
NYPD Chief of Patrol Juanita Holmes outlined the preliminary details in the shooting investigation during an early morning press conference on Aug. 29 near the corner of East 180th Street and Valentine Avenue in Fordham Heights, just steps away from where the trouble began.
According to Holmes, the father and son became embroiled in a dispute with a group of men at about 4:15 a.m. on Aug. 29 in front of a grocery store at 2080 Valentine Ave.
The argument quickly devolved into a physical dispute, Holmes said, during which Michael Rosado pulled out a gun and began firing shots. No group members were known to have been injured, sources said.
The shooting occurred around the corner from the 46th Precinct stationhouse on East 181st Street. Holmes said that two officers, who just went off-duty after completing their shifts, heard the shots, ran to the location and “engaged the suspects.”
“The 24-year-old man fired several times at the officers. The officers returned fire, which struck the 24-year-old man in the torso,” Holmes said. “The 45-year-old man then picked up the injured suspect’s gun and fired several rounds at the officers.”
The officers were not injured in the shootout, Holmes said. Other responding officers took Rafael Rosado into custody without further incident.
Meanwhile, Holmes reported, officers immediately rendered aid to Michael Rosado. EMS rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The two off-duty officers involved in the shootout were taken to Jacobi Hospital for observation, Holmes said.
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Friends and family of Michael Rosado, who was shot and killed by police over the weekend, march to the 46th Precinct on Aug. 30, 2021. Rosado’s father, Rafeal Rosado, is facing attempted murder charges for his role in the incident.
On Monday, family members and friends of Michael Rosado, marched to the 46th Precinct to demand accountability and justice for his death, claiming that he didn’t open fire on police.
“[Michael] is not a criminal, he’s not a cop shooter, and the video shows he didn’t shoot no gun at no police,” said Michael Rosado’s wife Anna during the march. “We had been together for more than ten years and he was my everything … and now I’m broken and have nothing because of the NYPD.”
The case is now being investigated by the NYPD Force Investigation Division, which probes all shootings involving police officers.
The state Attorney General’s office could not be reached for comment.
Reach Robbie Sequeira at rsequeira@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4599. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter @bronxtimes and Facebook @bronxtimes.
