NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Police on Long Island shot and killed a man who confronted them while waving around a BB gun early Wednesday morning, according to law enforcement officials.
James Rosano’s mother had called 911 to report that her son was “out of control, highly intoxicated and refused to leave,” Detective Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Homicide Squad said.
Police responded to the home at 339 Rushmore Ave. in Carle Place at about 12:30 a.m., and as one officer began interviewing the woman about what had transpired, he noticed her son to his right, pointing what appeared to be a shotgun at him.
According to Fitzpatrick, when the 33-year-old’s mother called 911, he had reacted by saying, “Kiss me, I’m going to go outside and die by the police.”
Fearing for his and the mother’s safety, the officer pushed her inside the house and closed the door behind her.
Police said that just as Rosano appeared, two other officers pulled up to the residence. One immediately took position back on the front steps, and the other went into the next-door neighbor’s driveway and took a position behind a car, about six or seven feet from him.
All of the officers asked Rosano to drop the weapon numerous times, and he did not comply, police said. He continued to approach the officer behind the vehicle, at which point he shot one time, striking him in the chest.
Rosano was taken immediately to Winthrop Hospital and died at 1:14 a.m.
“A well-trained, well-professional, well-controlled officer did what he had to do to stop that threat,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “Later, and only later, did we learn that that was a BB gun. But you look at it, and you tell me if you could see anything different in what that gun is.”
Rosano has a long criminal history with multiple felonies for burglary, arson, criminal mischief and DWIs. Most recently, he was arrested on Sept. 1 for assaulting his girlfriend, police said.
His mother told officers that he had a long history of depression, irrational behavior and abusing alcohol and controlled substances.
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