New York City officers do not face charges in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man

Two New York City police officers will not be charged in the shooting death of a 19-year-old man during a mental health crisis last year after his mother and brother pleaded with officers not to open fire, state Attorney General Letitia James’ office said Thursday.

Vin Rosario was shot five times by officers at his family’s home in Queens on March 27, 2024, when he came at them with scissors in hand, police body camera video showed. A person in the home called 911 and told a dispatcher “I think my son is on drugs and acting crazy,” according to police.

The Office of Special Investigations in James’ office concluded in its report that “prosecutors will not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ use of deadly force against Mr. Rosario was justified and, therefore, will not seek charges.”

The report also said that the justification of the officers, Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfroco, that Rosario came at them with scissors could not be disproved beyond a reasonable doubt. However, both officers still face an internal disciplinary investigation by the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board on excessive force charges, as well as a lawsuit by Rosario’s family.

Rosario’s mother Notan Eva Costa, his father Francis Rosario and his brother Utsho Rosario criticized the decision not to prosecute the officers.

“State Attorney General Letitia James’ cowardly decision not to indict NYPD Officers Matthew Cianfroco and Salvatore Alongi for the murder of our beloved son and brother, Winn Rosario, feels like we’re seeing Winn killed again,” the Justice Committee advocacy group said in a statement.

“We were safe in our home until Officers Cianfroco and Alongi walked in and created chaos,” they said. “NYPD should not engage with people experiencing mental health episodes.”

The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the family’s comments Thursday evening.

The Office of Special Investigations report recommends expanding a pilot program citywide that sends paramedics and mental health professionals as first responders to mental health emergency calls. It also recommends more training for officers to respond to such calls. And it says states must enact laws that allow public health-based responses to people experiencing mental health, alcohol use or substance use crises.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s platform includes expanding mental health services throughout the city, with health professionals responding to mental health crises reported in 911 calls.

“Win Rosario’s death was a senseless tragedy that caused pain to many New Yorkers, many of whom were his loved ones,” Mamdani said in a statement Thursday.

He noted the officers face potential discipline and added, “What today’s decision does not change is our obligation to do everything in our power to ensure this does not happen again, our commitment to providing the social services New Yorkers deserve, and our investment in both real public safety and justice for all.”

After officers entered Rosario’s home, Rosario grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors and took a few quick steps toward the officers, prompting one of them to fire a Taser, police body camera video showed. Razario’s mother grabbed him and removed the scissors, and the police ordered him out of the way, prompting him to put the scissors on a chair and step aside to plead, “Don’t shoot.”

The situation then quickly escalated, with one officer firing a Taser again and Rosario picking up a pair of scissors and walking toward the police. An officer then fired his handgun at Rosario, whose mother approached him, then her younger son tried to pull her away.

“Please don’t shoot my mother!” Rosario’s brother cries.

“Get him out of the way!” The police shouted. Rosario’s mother and brother fall to the ground.

The officers then fired at Rosario again as he walked toward them with the scissors.

Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, a police union, said the attorney general’s office made the right call in not prosecuting the officers.

“These police officers were put in an incredibly difficult situation and forced to make split second decisions based on the risk to everyone at the scene,” he said in a statement.