New York's Top Cop Won't Pursue Charges Against Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting of 19-Year-Old Man Having a Mental Health Crisis.
The New York Attorney General's Office has decided not to seek criminal charges against two NYPD officers who shot and killed Win Rozario, a 19-year-old man in crisis, at his Queens home last March. The decision comes amidst growing calls for reform on the city's handling of emergency mental health calls, with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani vowing to overhaul the department's response.
According to a report by the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation, prosecutors would face an uphill battle in disproving that the shooting was justified. The agency ultimately decided not to recommend charges, citing the officers' actions as justified under the circumstances.
Body camera footage shows that Rozario had called 911 on himself and was having a mental health crisis when two officers, Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco, responded to his home. A chaotic interaction ensued, with Rozario wielding scissors and the officers using Tasers, which failed to subdue him. It was only after his mother intervened that the officers fired multiple shots, killing Rozario.
The report notes that while some may view the shooting as unjustified, a prosecutor would struggle to prove otherwise. The agency recommends expanding the city's pilot program, B-HEARD, which allows social workers and emergency medical technicians to respond to mental health calls instead of police. Under current policies, however, such calls are not eligible for this alternative response.
The decision has been met with condemnation from Rozario's family, who argue that the NYPD should not engage with individuals experiencing a mental health episode. The Civilian Complaint Review Board voted to approve charges against both officers, but the union representing them disputes the findings, claiming they were overturned by their own investigator.
Mamdani's plan to overhaul emergency mental health responses in the city includes expanding B-HEARD citywide and allowing it to cover drug and alcohol calls. As the debate over policing and crisis intervention continues, questions remain about accountability and justice for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
The New York Attorney General's Office has decided not to seek criminal charges against two NYPD officers who shot and killed Win Rozario, a 19-year-old man in crisis, at his Queens home last March. The decision comes amidst growing calls for reform on the city's handling of emergency mental health calls, with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani vowing to overhaul the department's response.
According to a report by the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation, prosecutors would face an uphill battle in disproving that the shooting was justified. The agency ultimately decided not to recommend charges, citing the officers' actions as justified under the circumstances.
Body camera footage shows that Rozario had called 911 on himself and was having a mental health crisis when two officers, Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco, responded to his home. A chaotic interaction ensued, with Rozario wielding scissors and the officers using Tasers, which failed to subdue him. It was only after his mother intervened that the officers fired multiple shots, killing Rozario.
The report notes that while some may view the shooting as unjustified, a prosecutor would struggle to prove otherwise. The agency recommends expanding the city's pilot program, B-HEARD, which allows social workers and emergency medical technicians to respond to mental health calls instead of police. Under current policies, however, such calls are not eligible for this alternative response.
The decision has been met with condemnation from Rozario's family, who argue that the NYPD should not engage with individuals experiencing a mental health episode. The Civilian Complaint Review Board voted to approve charges against both officers, but the union representing them disputes the findings, claiming they were overturned by their own investigator.
Mamdani's plan to overhaul emergency mental health responses in the city includes expanding B-HEARD citywide and allowing it to cover drug and alcohol calls. As the debate over policing and crisis intervention continues, questions remain about accountability and justice for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
i mean idk what's wrong with these cops but like they just shoot some guy who's having a meltdown and now no one's gonna hold them accountable?? 
it just doesn't seem right to me. i feel bad for win's mom too, she's the real hero here 
and yeah i get what the city is saying about overhauling emergency responses but like how can you just let this slide? 
do they not have any surveillance footage or something?? idk maybe im just not understanding the context but it all seems kinda fishy to me 
. I mean, can you imagine calling 911 on yourself in a mental health crisis and then the police just show up and try to "help" without even trying to de-escalate the situation? 
. I mean, what does it say about our society when we can't even get the basics right? 
It's like we're too scared to take on the issue of mental health and policing head-on.
. We need to do better than that. We owe it to ourselves, our communities, and people like Win Rozario who are still grieving today 
cuz they say the kid was having a mental health crisis 
but we all know that's just an excuse 
this is a total travesty 
and I'm so sick of the politicians not doing anything about it 
win's mom said he was having a mental health crisis & needed help, not to be shot by the ppl meant to save him 911 
what's going on in queens is even more messed up than i thought 
It's time for a change, like that new pilot program they mentioned – social workers and EMTs responding to calls instead of police. That sounds like a whole lot less toxic.
Like, are you kidding me? If there's even an iota of doubt, then maybe we should be questioning their actions in the first place. This whole thing needs to be looked into, like for real. 
.
. That's why I think it's so cool that Mayor-elect Mamdani wants to expand B-HEARD citywide 
. It shows us that we can grow and improve as a community, even when things seem broken 
. Let's work together to create a system where people feel seen, heard, and helped 
.
. Which I guess is a good thing, 'cause maybe it'll help people get the help they need instead of just getting shot by the cops 
you know what's wild? i was at this concert last weekend and they had like, 5 different types of popcorn flavors 
each one more ridiculous than the other... seriously though, have you ever tried that spicy cheese one? it's like eating a spicy cheese explosion in your mouth 
. I'd love to see some concrete data on how the B-HEARD program actually works and what kind of training these officers received before this incident happened... no wonder there's so much outrage from Rozario's family 
... my cousin had that one friend who was always on meds & stuff... seems rly easy 2 say u need help but hard 2 take action 
... anyway i guess thats what happens when ppl r too scared 2 make a decision 
.
. I mean, come on, 19-year-old kid in a mental health crisis gets killed by the cops who are supposed to be helping him? 
it's like they just didn't even try.
. If we can't even get it right with something as simple as B-HEARD, how are we going to fix the real problems? 
. Like, I get it, they're traumatized, but come on, can't we find a way to help them without resorting to violence? 
i feel like the police are more of a threat than a help in situations like this 
let's get these social workers and EMTs on the scene instead of cops who are just gonna shoot first... it's time for some real change in this city 