AG to investigate offi cer-involved shooting in west Bronx
BRONX TIMES R 14 EPORTER, SEPT. 3-9, 2021 BTR
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
The New York Attorney
General’s Offi ce is expected
to open an investigation into
an offi cer-involved shooting
that resulted in the death of
24-year-old Michael Rosado,
following a shootout with offduty
NYPD offi cers that also
involved his 45-year-0ld father
in the west Bronx early
Sunday morning.
Rafael Rosado, the decedent’s
father, was arraigned
on Aug. 30 in Bronx Criminal
Court on charges including
attempted murder, criminal
possession of a weapon,
criminal use of a fi rearm,
and reckless endangerment.
Rosado’s next court appearance
is scheduled for
Sept. 3.
In a statement to the
Bronx Times on Wednesday,
Democratic Sen. Gustavo Rivera
— who represents District
33 which includes the
Tremont section where the
fatal altercation took place
— said that the timeline for
the attorney general’s investigation,
which is now required
under state law, has
not been announced.
“It is disheartening that a
24-year-old father lost his life
in my district early Sunday
morning,” said Rivera. “As
police offi cers were involved
in the shooting, the Attorney
General will be tasked with
investigating the incident
which is a policy I fought
to implement in an effort to
bring transparency and accountability
to such devastating
incidents. It is my
hope that the investigation
will bring clarity and justice
to our community.”
NYPD Chief of Patrol
Juanita Holmes outlined
the preliminary details in
the shooting investigation
during an early morning
press conference on Aug. 29
near the corner of East 180th
Street and Valentine Avenue
in Fordham Heights, just
steps away from where the
trouble began.
According to Holmes, the
father and son became embroiled
in a dispute with a
group of men at about 4:15
a.m. on Aug. 29 in front of a
grocery store at 2080 Valentine
Ave.
The argument quickly
devolved into a physical dispute,
Holmes said, during
which Michael Rosado pulled
out a gun and began fi ring
shots. No group members
were known to have been injured,
sources said.
The shooting occurred
around the corner from the
46th Precinct stationhouse
on East 181st Street. Holmes
said that two offi cers, who
just went off-duty after completing
their shifts, heard the
shots, ran to the location and
“engaged the suspects.”
“The 24-year-old man
fi red several times at the
offi cers. The offi cers returned
fi re, which struck the
24-year-old man in the torso,”
Holmes said. “The 45-yearold
man then picked up the
injured suspect’s gun and
fi red several rounds at the offi
cers.”
The offi cers were not injured
in the shootout, Holmes
said. Other responding offi -
cers took Rafael Rosado into
custody without further incident.
Meanwhile, Holmes reported,
offi cers immediately
rendered aid to Michael Rosado.
EMS rushed him to St.
Barnabas Hospital, where he
was pronounced dead.
The two off-duty offi cers
involved in the shootout
were taken to Jacobi Hospital
for observation, Holmes
said.
On Monday, family members
and friends of Michael
Rosado, marched to the
46th Precinct to demand accountability
and justice for
his death, claiming that he
didn’t open fi re on police.
“Michael is not a criminal,
he’s not a cop shooter,
and the video shows he didn’t
shoot no gun at no police,”
said Michael Rosado’s wife
Anna during the march. “We
had been together for more
than ten years and he was
my everything … and now
I’m broken and have nothing
because of the NYPD.”
The case is now being
investigated by the NYPD
Force Investigation Division,
which probes all shootings
involving police offi cers.
On Aug. 30, 2021, family and friends of Michael Rosado march to the 46th
Precinct demanding justice and accountability from the NYPD for their
involvement in Rosado’s death. Photo Adrian Childress