Today marks one year since my sweet 19-year-old son, Win Rozario, was killed by NYPD officers in what should have been the safety of our home. The police shot and killed Win while I begged them not to, in front of me and Win’s younger brother.
As a mother, my two sons are like my two hands. Now, with Win gone, it’s like half of me is missing. I wish my child had been able to live to pursue his dreams. Even our cat misses Win and his calm energy. When someone says “kaka,” the Bangla word for uncle, our cat paws at the photo of Win.
About an hour before Win was killed, I saw my two boys talking together. I loved seeing them like this. Win came up to me with kind words and he kissed my forehead. That was the last time he would ever do that.
Before Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco came to our home, it was calm. While my son had mental health challenges, he never made us feel unsafe and we were fine until the police came. Alongi and Cianfrocco created a chaotic situation and just kept making it worse. I was scared and tried to protect my son but Alongi and Cianfrocco tased and shot Win in less than two minutes. They were so aggressive and reckless, it’s a miracle they didn’t also kill me and my other son.
After shooting Win, the NYPD forced me and Win’s brother to go to the precinct immediately, refusing to let us wear more clothes or take anything. They treated us like criminals, separated us, and interrogated us without lawyers before telling us Win had died.
The horror didn’t end there. The NYPD refused to let my family back into our home for more than 48 hours. We had to find somewhere else to stay while we were in shock and mourning. They wouldn’t let us get clothes, our medication or even our cat. An elected official had to push them to finally let us return but our apartment was covered in Win’s blood. A community group cleaned the crime scene that the police created.
Words can’t describe the painful nightmare of this last year. Every holiday, every moment is a reminder and Win’s absence is the largest presence in the room. We had to move because it was too hard to stay where we saw Win killed.
It’s been a year with no justice. The police who killed Win still haven’t been fired or indicted. The Civilian Complaint Review Board and the attorney general are still investigating. We don’t have updates about the NYPD’s investigation. Instead of acting to hold Alongi and Cianfrocco accountable, it’s only been lies and obstruction from Mayor Adams and the NYPD.
In May of last year, the mayor falsely claimed he had reached out to our family after Win was killed. We need action from the mayor, not lies and theatrics. Alongi and Cianfrocco are still paid officers, making everyone less safe.
Months before Win was killed, Adams promised New Yorkers he’d cut the time to complete police discipline cases in half, saying more than a year was too long.
But a year later, Alongi and Cianfrocco still haven’t been fired for killing my son and the mayor and the NYPD haven’t held other officers accountable for their mistreatment of my family afterward. Was the mayor’s promise just another lie?
After killing Win, the NYPD delayed sending body camera footage to the CCRB — even though the attorney general had already publicly released some of the footage. We’ve gotten no updates from the NYPD or the mayor. We have no idea if they’re investigating anything.
There have been three police commissioners since Win was killed. The current commissioner — Jessica Tisch — said she supports more discipline for police misconduct. She should start by firing Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco and ensuring that other officers are fired when they unjustly kill. She should also remove police from mental health response calls.
Nothing will bring Win back, but Adams and Tisch should fire Alongi and Cianfrocco as soon as possible and make changes so no other mother has to go through what I’ve gone through. I’m fighting so no other family has to suffer like ours and so no more families are torn apart by the NYPD the way we were.
Win was only a child, but he knew right from wrong. I hope the commissioner and the mayor do, too.
Costa is the mother of Win Rozario.