By Hank Russell
New York Attorney General Letitia James today released body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of James Rosano, who died this past September following an encounter with members of the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) in Carle Place. (Warning: Viewers may find these videos to be disturbing.)
Shortly after midnight on September 3, 2025, NCPD officers responded to a 911 call from a person who said they feared for their safety at a residence on Rushmore Avenue in Carle Place. According to the NCPD, officers were responding to a domestic violence incident involving an intoxicated male acting irrationally. Upon arrival, police observed Rosaro standing in front of the home holding what appeared to be a long gun, according to the OAG. The NCPD identified the weapon as a shotgun.
Officers repeatedly instructed Rosano to drop the weapon, but he failed to comply. One of the officers can be heard yelling several times, “Drop the gun!” An officer discharged his service weapon, striking Rosano. According to the NCPD, the use of deadly force was “reasonable and necessary for the officer to use deadly physical force to stop the threat to officers and the residents.”
Rosano, 33, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered the weapon at the scene.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that captured the incident. The release of this footage follows James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
“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,” the OAG stated. “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.”
The Nassau County Police Department Homicide Squad will continue its investigation into this incident in conjunction with the AG’s Office.
The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.