Two body camera videos from the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Win Rozario.

The videos show that in just under 20 seconds from the moment two cops entered Rozario’s home, they tased him after he grabbed a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer.


What You Need To Know

  • The police body camera videos come from two NYPD officers who responded to Win Rozario’s home

  • Rozario called the police while suffering from a mental health episode

  • The New York attorney general is investigating the shooting

  • The two officers were put on modified duty following the shooting

Rozario’s mother grabbed a hold of him and stood between her son and the cops, the videos showed. One officer yelled, “Let go of him and back up.” 

The videos were released as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the fatal March 27 shooting.

In the video leading up to the first shot, Rozario’s mother took away the scissors from him. He grabbed them again, and with scissors in his hands, he walked toward the police.

A shot was fired, and Rozario was still standing.

Over the next 30 seconds, Rozario’s brother tried to pry his mother away. Then, with Rozario holding the scissors, he stepped toward his mother and police. That's when an officer fired four more shots at Rozario.

The Rozario family had been calling for the release of the footage.

“The video that was released makes it clear that Win should be alive, but the police came and murdered him in our kitchen without any care for him or us. The police created a crisis and killed him in cold blood. The officers should be fired and prosecuted for murder as soon as possible,” the family said in a statement.

Keith Taylor, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former supervisor in the NYPD, said it was an uncontrolled situation.

“He purposely gets up with the scissors in his hands and charges the officers. This is an extremely volatile, uncontrolled situation,” Taylor said. “Officers are told to isolate, contain and evacuate to de-escalate. They had no chance whatsoever to do that.”

“It sounds deplorably wrong,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.

Williams told NY1 he had not yet seen the police body camera video, only briefed on its contents by his staff.

“The very nature and presence of the officer with the gun and the badge can elevate a situation when someone who actually needs a medical response, and that seems to be what happened,” he said.

Mayor Eric Adams, in a statement, offered his condolences to Rozario’s family and friends.

“While the attorney general’s investigation is still ongoing, I want to be clear that her office has New York City’s full cooperation,” Adams said in the statement. “Out of respect for the process I will avoid commenting any further, except to underscore the critical importance of learning from this profound loss and using it as a catalyst for positive change, particularly in how we police and care for those living with severe mental illness.”

In a statement, the NYPD said it is cooperating with the attorney general’s investigation and its own Force Investigation Division is also probing the shooting.

Both officers are on modified assignment, meaning their shield and firearm were pulled.