Bodycam footage from fatal NYPD shooting of Queens 19-year-old released by attorney general amid investigation

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New York Attorney General Leticia James's office released officer body camera footage on Friday as part of an investigation into the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario in Queens earlier this year.

Rozario, 19, died on March 27 after an encounter with police, and an investigation has been opened by the attorney general’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI). The footage was released as part of a directive to improve transparency and build public trust.

Following the release of the footage, Rozario’s family issued the following statement: “It’s been over a month since we lost Win and our hearts are broken. We feel his absence every day. Reliving this is traumatic and painful. We wish it wasn’t necessary for the video to be public.”

“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. The police created a crisis and killed him in cold blood. The officers should be fired and prosecuted for murder as soon as possible,” the statement, attributed to Notan Ava Costa, Utsho Rozario and Francis Rozario—the mother, brother and father of Rozario—concluded.

The NYPD said that the two officers involved, Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi, remain on modified duty. While on modified assignment, officers do not carry a shield or firearm, police said.

“Each year, the NYPD receives more than nine million calls for service, approximately 155,000 of which are emergency calls involving people in the throes of an emotional or mental health crisis. Less than 1 percent of those calls result in police using any form of force; even fewer encounters result in the use of deadly physical force,” the NYPD said in a statement on Friday.

“We continually seek to improve how we respond to requests for assistance, and we acknowledge that there is much work to be done. New Yorkers expect and deserve nothing less,” the statement said.

In addition to “fully cooperating” with the OSI investigation, the NYPD said that its Force Investigation Division is also conducting an investigation.

On the day of the incident, officers Cianfrocco and Alongi responded to 101-12 103rd St., a home in South Ozone Park, after a 911 call reported a person in mental distress. Once inside, they came across Rozario holding a pair of scissors.

The officers deployed their tasers at Rozario, and Costa attempted to get between her son and the police.

When Rozario came toward them again, the officers fired their guns at him. The 19-year-old was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

“This is a terrifying reminder that the NYPD is not equipped to be first responders to New Yorkers who might have, or be perceived to have, mental health complexities” executive director of the Justice Committee Loyda Colon told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.

Mayor Eric Adams released a statement regarding the footage that expresses condolences, commits to cooperation in the attorney general office's investigation and focuses on his work with police reform.

"My heart is broken, and I share the profound pain felt by New Yorkers after watching the tragic video of the incident resulting in the death of Winn Rozario," Adams said. "The thought of a parent burying their child, let alone witnessing their child's final moments, is unimaginable."

Adams went on to say that he has "dedicated [his] career to police reform and fostering improved relationships between our officers and the communities they serve," referencing his collaboration with advocacy group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, and said that he will continue in that "lifelong mission [to ensure] that Winn’s death is not in vain."

The mayor concluded his statement by emphasizing "the critical importance of learning from this profound loss and using it as a catalyst for positive change, particularly in how we police and care for those living with severe mental illness.”

Multiple investigations into the use of deadly force are ongoing.