By Hank Russell
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI)is currently looking into the death of a man following an encounter with members of the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) in Carle Place.
Shortly after midnight on September 3, NCPD officers responded to a 911 call from an individual who said they feared for their safety at a residence on Rushmore Avenue in Carle Place. Upon arrival, officers encountered James Rosano outside of the house holding what appeared to be a gun. Officers instructed Mr. Rosano to drop the weapon, but Rosano failed to comply. An officer discharged his service weapon in response, striking Rosano.
Rosano was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered what appeared to be a gun at the scene.
According to the OSI, “Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.”
This is the second investigation in as many weeks that the OSI has conducted on local police departments. As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, the OSI released body-worn camera footage of a police-involved shooting that took place the morning of July 13 in Centereach.
Suffolk County police officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault with a knife taking place behind a row of retail stores in Centereach, as reported by LILP. When officers arrived on the scene, they encountered an individual with lacerations to his hand and neck. While EMTs rendered aid to the injured individual, Ordoñez-Banegas advanced toward the injured individual with what appeared to be a knife in his hand.
LILP reported that one of the officers discharged his service weapon, striking Ordoñez-Banegas. Ordoñez-Banegas was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.
The OSI said the facts in the Rosano case are preliminary and subject to change.