Scissors Standoff: NYPD Cleared in Win Rozario Shooting

QUEENS, NY – A Queens man is dead after a chaotic encounter with NYPD officers, and the state Attorney General’s office has just signed off on the shooting. Win Rozario, 32, died on March 27, 2024, following a tense standoff inside his home, and after a year-long investigation, the officers involved won’t face criminal charges. The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its findings today, concluding that prosecutors couldn’t prove the officers’ actions weren’t justified under New York law.

The bizarre chain of events began at 1:49 p.m. when two NYPD officers responded to a 911 call from the very man who would become the victim. Win Rozario himself dialed for help. Upon arrival at the residence, officers spoke with Rozario’s brother, who stated his brother was experiencing an “episode.” The officers pressed for details, asking if Rozario was “high on drugs” or had taken anything. They then proceeded upstairs to a second-floor apartment.

Inside, Rozario and his mother were met by the officers. The situation quickly escalated. At 1:53 p.m., Rozario grabbed a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer and advanced toward the officers, his mother desperately trying to restrain him. One officer deployed a Taser, but it failed to stop Rozario, who was then briefly subdued by his mother. However, he managed to grab the scissors again after his mother complied with police requests to step back. “Don’t shoot,” she pleaded, moments before the second Taser round was fired.

The second Taser proved equally ineffective. Rozario, still wielding the scissors, continued to move towards the officers. The first officer fired his service weapon, striking Rozario. A struggle ensued, with Rozario’s mother and brother falling to the floor as they attempted to disarm him. Despite being shot, Rozario regained possession of the scissors and took a step towards the officers. The officer fired again, then again, and again – a total of four shots. The second officer also fired three times.

The OSI report details a painstaking review of body-worn camera footage, ballistics reports, 911 calls, and interviews. Investigators determined that the officers reasonably believed Rozario posed an imminent threat of serious physical injury. Despite the tragic outcome, the OSI concluded that a conviction wouldn’t be possible. The report lays bare a disturbing reality: police are often forced to make split-second decisions in volatile situations, and the legal bar for justifying the use of deadly force remains stubbornly high.

The case raises familiar questions about mental health crises and police response. Rozario’s brother indicated a known “episode,” and the initial 911 call suggests a potential mental health emergency. While the OSI report focuses solely on the legality of the shooting, it does little to address the systemic issues that often pit law enforcement against individuals in the throes of a crisis. The Rozario family has not yet released a statement, and the streets of Queens remain quiet, but the questions linger.

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