19-year-old in 'mental distress' killed by NYPD officers in 'chaotic' encounter in Ozone Park, police say
NYPD officers gather evidence as they investigate the fatal shooting of a teen by a cop at a home on 103rd Street in Ozone Park, Wednesday. Credit: Jeff Bachner
A 19-year-old Queens man who police said was in mental distress was shot and killed by officers Wednesday afternoon after he lunged at them with a pair of scissors, officials said.
The incident rapidly unfolded shortly after 1:40 p.m. when the teenager, later identified as Win Rozario, called 911 to say he was in mental distress, according to NYPD chief of patrol John Chell.
Officers responded within two minutes to the second floor apartment on 103rd Street in Ozone Park, where they found themselves in a “chaotic situation where our officers had to defend themselves,” Chell said.
Officers first attempted to take the man into custody to get him help, but he pulled a pair of scissors out of a drawer and approached the officers, who then fired Taser devices that appeared to incapacitate him, Chell said.
“But a mother, being a mother, went to her son to help him, and in doing so she accidentally knocked the Tasers out of his body,” Chell explained during an impromptu news conference near the scene.
The man then picked up the scissors again and approached the officers, who fired their service weapons in self-defense, Chell said. Rozario was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, said police.
Chell said the shooting was tragic for all concerned and comes as the department is mourning the Monday night line-of-duty death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, of Massapequa Park.
“It was just a sad event all the way around,” Chell said, noting the entire encounter was captured on police body-worn cameras.
“As our city mourns for the senseless act of violence against Officer Diller, cops are out defending the community, helping the community, and they tried to do that today with a person in mental distress,” said Chell.
Police said Rozario had no criminal record, but last October had been hospitalized after a domestic incident involving a verbal dispute.
Rozario's family could not be reached Wednesday night.
Communities United for Police Reform, an advocacy group, said in a statement: “Today’s killing ... by the NYPD is just another devastating and senseless reminder that police should never be part of mental health response. This young person called the police for help, and, like so many others before him, died at the hands of officers who needlessly and violently escalated the situation."
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
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