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Family of Queens man fatally shot by police demands department hold officers accountable
A rally took place outside the New York City Police Department's headquarters Thursday to mark 15 months since a 19-year-old man in Queens was shot and killed by officers.
Win Rozario was in the middle of a mental health crisis at his home when NYPD officers Tased him and fatally shot him in front of his mother and younger brother.
The NYPD says an officer shot and killed Win Rozario after he came towards the officers with a pair of scissors on March 27, 2024.
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"Nothing can prepare you"
A translator conveyed mother Notan Eva Costa's grief and anger.
"I loved my son. Win was my first born," she said. "Nothing can prepare you to watch your teenage child be repeatedly electrocuted and shot dead by NYPD officers right in front of you."
Costa says she is haunted by the events of March 2024, remembering how inside her Queens home she begged officers to stop Tasing her son, as seen in NYPD officer body-worn camera video.
The family admits the young man had scissors, but Costa took them away from him and put them down.
After an officer's Taser was used on Rozario, he grabbed the scissors back. The Taser was used again, and the fatal shot fired.
The family says they do not believe officers needed to use deadly force.
In a statement, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said: "These police officers were faced with an individual who was holding a weapon and endangering multiple people. As the body camera footage makes clear, they were trying to minimize the risks to everyone in that room and were forced to make split-second decisions based on those risks. They deserve a fair investigation based on facts and the law."
Father accuses NYPD of creating crisis
Father Francis Rozario was at work when the incident happened.
"NYPD officers cannot be allowed to create a crisis then cry victim," he said through a translator.
The parents filed a lawsuit, but the NYPD says the department has not been served.
The family wants the city to hold the officers accountable, reveal names of other officers involved, update the family on the investigations and set up an in-person meeting for relatives with the mayor.
When asked about the NYPD's progress on the investigation, a spokesperson told CBS News New York, "The investigation remains ongoing by the Force Investigation Division."
Others at the rally said this case underscores the need for mental health professionals to respond to these situations, with expert knowledge to help de-escalate them.
