NEW YORK – The deadly shooting of a mentally distressed Queens man who called 911 for help is putting a renewed focus on mental health emergencies.
Police said the officers had no choice but to defend themselves, but the man’s family tells CBS New York Investigative Reporter Tim McNicholas they didn’t have to shoot him.
Police said Win Rozario called 911 Wednesday in the middle of a mental crisis from the family’s Ozone Park home. NYPD officials said police shocked him with a Taser because he grabbed a pair of scissors and moved toward the officers. The NYPD said Rozario’s mother tried to help him and accidentally knocked the Taser prongs off.
“At this point, the male picked up the scissors again, came at our officers, and they had no choice but to defend themselves, discharging their firearms,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
The family – a father, mother and brother – are all mourning the loss of the 19-year-old.
“This is very bad,” Francis Rozario, Win’s father, said.
“I just lost my best friend, the only person that would really understand me,” brother Ushto Rozario said.
Ushto Rozario said he witnessed the shooting, and doesn’t feel it was necessary. He wants to see the NYPD’s body camera footage.
“If they really wanted to, they could have detained him and saved a life that day,” he said.
The family said Win Rozario suffered from chronic mental health problems. NYPD sources say they responded to other calls to the home in October.
“The cops went in there to help him, but they did as much as they could,” Antonio Vincent said.
Vincent, a mental health therapist, is calling on the city to expand B-Heard, a pilot program that sends teams of EMTs and social workers to some mental health calls.
“I don’t think that they did anything wrong. I just think they needed additional support,” Vincent said.
“I do believe they should be trained more in situations like that,” Ushto Rozario said.
NYPD sources said both the officers who responded had been trained by the department on mental health calls.
The NYPD said its Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting.
