Raphael Rosado: Bronx man, 45, shoots at NY cops after son is killed in shootout
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Police have arrested 45-year-old Raphael Rosado after he and his son were involved in a firefight with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on August 29. According to reports, Rapahel picked up his son Michael's gun and began shooting at cops, after Michael was hit in the shootout with the police. Raphael was subsequently arrested with charges still pending at the time of reporting.
The shocking and violent scene near the intersection of Valentine Avenue is just the latest example of New York's gun violence issue, which has already taken several lives and injured numerous others. In May, a shooting in Times Square injured 3, including a 4-year-old girl. In another shooting at Times Square in June, a newly-wed marine was injured by a stray bullet. On August 19, a close friend of Ice-T, Joseph Bryan, was fatally shot in Long Island.
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The incidents are just a small example of the many that have rocked the city, with 165 shooting incidents logged in June 2021 alone (compared to the 205 in June 2020). The staggeringly high numbers have been attributed to various factors, and have become a key issue for voters ahead of the city's mayoral elections this year. In the latest incident, Raphael and Michael were reportedly involved in a violent argument with a group of people, that soon led to an intervention by two off-duty officers, before turning deadly.
Who is Raphael Rosado?
Little is known about both the father and son, who appear to have extensive rap sheets. According to reports, Raphael has been arrested over 60 times in the past for various reasons including drug possession, assault, and weapon possession. His son, 24-year-old Michael also has a prior criminal record, having been arrested for aggravated driving without a license and other minor offenses. Further information about the due could not be obtained. They don't appear to have a presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
We do have extensive information on the incident that led to Michael's death, and Raphael's arrest. According to the NY Daily News, the pair were engaged in an argument with a group of people at around 4 am a block from the New York Police Department's 46th precinct. It's unclear what they were arguing about, but it quickly turned physical with CCTV footage showing Michael running to his car and returning with a gun.
Michael was spotted shooting several times by two off-duty cops. The brave cops identified themselves and told Michael to drop his weapon, but he didn't comply. Michael reportedly began firing at the cops, who returned fire. One of the bullets struck Michael on the chest. The firefight drew the attention of other officers, who quickly swarmed the area. Raphael picked up his son's gun and began firing at the cops before running away. Minutes later, he returned to the scene, without the gun to attend to his dying son, but was promptly arrested.
Police attempted to provide first aid to Michael before he was taken to St Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The two off-duty cops weren't injured in the fight but reportedly taken to Jacobi Medical Center for ringing in the ears. The group arguing with the Rosado's is still at large, as is a woman Rapahel passed the gun to before he was arrested. According to one of Raphael's friends, he has a history of getting into trouble but was never known to be violent. "I wouldn’t say he was a bad (man) but he got into a lot of trouble. Sounds kind of like a father protecting his son. … It’s sad but it happened," an unidentified individual told the Daily News.