Family of Win Rozario demands answers from City Hall

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The family of Win Rozario stood in unity with members of the Bangladeshi community on the steps of City Hall, demanding that the officers involved in his fatal encounter be suspended and fired.

Rozario's mother and younger brother, Noton Eva Costa and Utsho Rozario, were present on March 27th, when 911 received a call for "someone in crisis".

Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi responded to the scene. What followed was a tense confrontation upstairs in the kitchen between Win Rozario and the officers.

The encounter ended with the officers tasing Rozario, who then picked up a pair of scissors and began moving towards them. They then fired several fatal shots at Rozario - killing him in front of his mother and brother.

On Wednesday, Rozario's family members spoke about the fatal shooting. "I tried to protect my son," said Costa. "I begged the police not to shoot."

"I'm really angry and disgusted that the people who are supposed to serve and protect us are the ones that are killing us," said Utsho Rozario.

Loyda Colon of the Justice Committee added, "What we need from Mayor Adams is for him to suspend the officers immediately without pay. Win Rozario should be alive today if the NYPD had already been removed from mental health."

The Mayor's Press Office told PIX11 News on Wednesday that "out of respect for the process", the Mayor will not be adding to the lengthy statement he released on Friday - expressing his heartbreak over the fatal encounter.

Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said on Wednesday, "This is a heartbreaking case that underscores the difficult reality police officers face when they respond to many calls... As the body camera footage makes clear, they were trying to minimize the risks to everyone in that room and were forced to make split-second decisions based on those risks."

Meanwhile, Desi Community advocate Simran Thind says more needs to be done. "We see disproportionately that Black and Brown families, working class families, are impacted by these incidents. That's why we are calling for serious investment into mental health - instead of policing."

New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation is ongoing.

City Hall officials contend the 911 call would not have been re-routed to the B-HEARD mental health assist program announced last year by the mayor because the 911 caller allegedly indicated the person in need was on drugs and acting erratic and then hung up before the dispatcher could verify the address, adding the B-HEARD program does not respond to reports of drug use.