Nearly Forty Elected Officials Urge Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch to Serve Charges & Fire Officers Who Killed Win Rozario “Without Delay or Obstruction"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 18, 2025

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Tess Weiner, tess@justicecommittee.org, 224-213-5495

Nearly Forty Elected Officials Urge Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch to Serve Charges & Fire Officers Who Killed Win Rozario “Without Delay or Obstruction"

The teen’s family, elected officials, and supporters demanded that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch Serve CCRB Discipline Charges on Cops who Killed Bangladeshi Teen by Key September 26th Deadline – Without NYPD Obstruction or Delay

New York, NY - This morning, the family of Bangladeshi teenager Win Rozario, who was gunned down and killed in his family’s home in less than two minutes by NYPD officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco in March 2024, rallied with city and state elected officials, Justice Committee, Desis Rising Up and Moving, and other supporters outside the NYPD headquarters to demand that Police Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams ensure that the NYPD swiftly serve the Civilian Complaint Review Board’s (CCRB) misconduct charges on both officers without delay.

At the press conference, elected officials released a letter sent this morning to Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams, urging them to serve the CCRB misconduct charges on Alongi & Cianfrocco by Friday, September 26th, the 18-month deadline to serve misconduct charges without having to prove penal code violations, per state civil service law. The letter was signed by nearly forty city and state elected officials, including: Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso; state Senators Julia Salazar, Robert Jackson, Brad Hoylman Sigal, John Liu; state Assemblymembers Steven Raga, Harvey Epstein; and City Council members, including the chairs of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (Crystal Hudson and Kevin Riley), as well as the chairs of the Progressive Caucus (Shahana Hanif and Sandy Nurse). 

The letter from elected officials cites past cases in which the NYPD has obstructed discipline proceedings against police who killed New Yorkers, and states: “We know that the NYPD has the ability to serve charges on officers within 1-2 days of filing. There is no reasonable justification to fail to serve the CCRB-substantiated charges on Alongi and Cianfrocco by September 26th… We urge you to not play politics to unfairly shield officers from disciplinary proceedings. We call on you to allow the CCRB disciplinary prosecution of these officers to move forward without delay or obstruction, so that New Yorkers and Win’s family do not have to wait another year for closure and action.”

Win Rozario’s family was surrounded at the event by supporters, including Justice Committee, Desis Rising Up & Moving, VOCAL-NY, 32BJ SEIU, Make the Road NY, New York Civil Liberties Union, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, elected officials, and others. 

Win’s mother, Notan Eva Costa, who tried to protect her son from Alongi & Cianfrocco’s escalations and reckless violence, pleading “don’t shoot” when they tased Win when he was standing still for at least thirty seconds with nothing in his hands and shot him five times, said: “No mother should ever have to deal with this pain and unimaginable loss. I am here fighting for all of the mothers, so that all of our sons get a chance to grow up. The CCRB has said clearly what we all know to be true – that Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco are dangerous to New Yorkers, and they put my family’s life at risk when they came charging into our home. They can do this to anyone! Would you feel safe if Officers Alongi or Cianfrocco were to answer your next police call?”

Win’s father, Francis Rozario, also spoke, explaining: “The CCRB has substantiated the charges against officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco. Now it is the NYPD's responsibility to deliver charges to these officers. NYPD - I want to ask you. Why have you not delivered these charges? This is absolutely unacceptable! We have endured more than a year of pain, and Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco are a danger to New Yorkers.  In the past year and a half we have been learning how many tricks the NYPD plays to protect police so they aren't fired when they kill our children. The Police Commissioner Tisch needs to do her job and make sure that these officers are fired, so that these officers will not be a threat to any other family.”  

Additional Quotes

“There is no justification for the NYPD to drag its feet in serving the CCRB’s discipline charges,” said Loyda Colón, Executive Director of the Justice Committee and a spokesperson for Win Rozario’s family. “We know the NYPD’s playbook of obstruction and delays from organizing with the families of Eric Garner, Allan Feliz, Kawaski Trawick and too many others – Jessica Tisch can choose to close the book on those tricks or let the NYPD continue to block discipline for cops who kill. New Yorkers want safety, we want fairness and we demand that Commissioner Tisch make sure that charges are delivered by Friday September 26th so that the discipline process to fire these dangerous cops can finally begin.”  

“We repeatedly heard loud and clear at the CCRB from several mothers and families that they do not feel safe with Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco still on the streets,” said Simran Thind, an organizer with Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) and a spokesperson for the family. “Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, it’s time to step up in our communities by demonstrating there can be accountability for the NYPD by firing these officers for the unjust killing of Win Rozario.”

"Win Rozario was just a teenager in his home when he was recklessly gunned down by Officers Alongi & Cianfrocco, in less than two minutes. I joined close to 40 city and state elected officials to send a letter to Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams today because a year and a half is too long - these officers should have already been fired,” shared Council Member Shahana Hanif. “New Yorkers and Win's family deserve accountability and Commissioner Tisch should ensure that the CCRB's discipline charges are served by September 26th, without obstruction or delay."

"For 18 months, Win Rozario’s family has been left without answers,” lamented Assembly Member Steven Ragan. “The CCRB has already done its job and substantiated misconduct — Accountability delayed is accountability denied, and Win’s family cannot wait any longer.”

NY State Senator John Liu stated, “The NYPD must act with the utmost urgency in serving the CCRB’s charges against the officers who killed Win Rozario. Every delay is another day of pain for his family. Swift action will help bring some measure of justice to his family who have been so horribly wronged, and it will send a strong message that accountability matters to the law enforcement we’ve entrusted to protect our communities.”

 "I call on Commissioner Tisch to ensure these charges are served to the officers ahead of the September 26th deadline," said Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. "The death of Win Rozario is a tragedy, and we must ensure this situation is investigated thoroughly and those involved are held accountable".

"It's been 18 months since the NYPD killed 19-year-old Queens resident Win Rozario while he was having a mental health crisis, and it's devastating that no justice has been served to his family and community. I join almost forty other elected officials to demand that Police Commissioner Tisch serve the CCRB's substantiated misconduct charges against the police officers who committed this murder before the September 26th deadline. NYPD must not delay in providing much overdue justice to the Rozario family," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan.  

"Almost 18 months ago, teenager Win Rozario was killed in his home by NYPD officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco. His family, who were forced to suffer the trauma of witnessing this violence against their loved one, are urging the NYPD to take action. To stop further harm and murders, we must ensure that CCRB's charges are served against these officers,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “Myself and other elected officials have signed this letter because we greatly mourn the loss of young lives in our city and cannot bear to see these officers continue to have the unrestricted ability to inflict violence on vulnerable youth."

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BACKGROUND

On March 27, 2024, teenager Win Rozario was killed in front of his mother and younger brother in his family’s Ozone Park apartment by NYPD Officers Salvatore Alongi and Matthew Cianfrocco. Officers Alongi and Cianfrocco recklessly shot Win at least five times in less than two minutes of entering the apartment, as his mother pleaded for the officers not to shoot. Alongi & Cianfrocco violated numerous NYPD protocols, including when they tased Win without warning while he was standing still with nothing in his hands, chaotically escalating the crisis that they had created without properly taking steps to de-escalate in spite of sufficient time to do so, and shooting Win while his mother and younger brother were nearby, endangering their lives.  

Immediately following the shooting, NYPD officers forced Win’s mother and younger brother to go to the precinct to be interrogated, preventing them from accompanying Win to the hospital. Ms. Costa was questioned at length without counsel before being told her son had died, and Win’s 17-year-old brother was also interrogated alone. NYPD officers blocked re-entry to the Rozario family’s home for more than two days, refusing the family’s requests to retrieve belongings, access medications, or even to have someone feed their cat.

For over a month after Win Rozario was killed, the NYPD blocked transparency, including refusing to release the names of the officers involved. Alongi and Cianfrocco’s names were first publicly identified by the Attorney General’s Office when they released officer body camera footage on May 3, 2024. Mayor Adams’ first and only public statements regarding the killing were issued only after the Attorney General released body camera footage, over five weeks after Win was killed, after he was questioned by press. After being questioned by reporters, Mayor Adams falsely claimed that he had reached out to the family after the incident and that discipline would have to wait until after the Attorney General’s investigation concluded with a determination, which has never been accurate.

For the past year and a half, Win Rozario’s family, along with the Justice Committee, Desis Rising Up & Moving and others have called for the NYPD to fire – and for the NYS Attorney General to prosecute – NYPD officers Alongi and Cianfrocco. Win’s family is also calling for police to be removed from the city’s mental health response. Win Rozario’s mother wrote about the year since Win was killed and the NYPD’s mistreatment of her family in a March 2025 Daily News Op-Ed. 

On September 19, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) substantiated eight misconduct allegations  against officers Alongi and Cianfrocco, including excessive force and abuse of authority. The CCRB filed “charges and specifications” with the NYPD against Alongi and Cianfrocco– the highest class of discipline against officers, reflecting the severity of misconduct. The NYPD is responsible for officially serving the CCRB’s charges on the officers, to formally commence disciplinary proceedings. 

The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division (FID) was required to investigate the killing, but the family has received no information or updates from Mayor Adams or the NYPD about their mandated investigation since Win was killed in March of 2024. The New York State Attorney General is also investigating the killing.

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About the Justice Committee:

Since the 1980s, the Justice Committee (JC) has been dedicated to building a movement against police violence and systemic racism in New York City. The heart of our work is organizing and uplifting the leadership of families who have lost loved ones to the police and survivors of police violence. We empower our community to deter police violence, hold law enforcement accountable, and build people-led community safety through grassroots organizing campaigns, community empowerment, political education, our CopWatch program, and by developing safety mechanisms and projects that decrease reliance on police. By building solidarity with other anti-racist, immigrant and people of color-led organizations, the Justice Committee seeks to contribute to a broad-based movement for racial, social, and economic justice. 

About Desis Rising Up and Moving:

DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving is a multigenerational, membership led organization of low-wage South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants, workers and youth in New York City. Founded in 2000, DRUM has mobilized and built the leadership of thousands of low-income, South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants to lead social and policy change that impacts their own lives- from immigrant rights to education reform, racial justice, and worker’s justice.  Our membership of over 5,000 adults, youth, and families is multigenerational and represents the diaspora of the South Asian communities – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guyana, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and beyond.  In over a decade, we have built a unique model of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean undocumented workers, women, and youth led organizing for rights and justice from the local to the global rooted in base building, leadership development, running short and long term campaigns to reform policies on all levels, strong cross-community alliances locally and nationally, and building democratic and mass participatory spaces.