On a Friday afternoon in the Bronx, 41-year-old New York Police Department Sergeant Paul Tuozzolo’s nearly two-decade-long career came to a tragic end. On November 4, 2016, a 911 call came in from a woman on Beach Avenue, reporting that her estranged husband, 35-year-old Manuel Rosales, had broken into her apartment. Rosales, who was armed, had a history of domestic violence and had threatened to kill his wife previously.
Inside the apartment with his estranged wife were their three-year-old son, another child, and the woman's mother who made the call.
Rosales fled the scene in a red Jeep before police arrived. A short time later, around 2:52 p.m., officers, including Sergeant Tuozzolo and his partner Sergeant Emmanuel Kwo, spotted the Jeep about half a mile away at Noble and Bronx River Avenues. As the sergeants and two other officers approached the vehicle, Rosales opened fire with a. 45 caliber handgun. Sergeant Tuozzolo was struck in the head. His partner, Sergeant Kwo, was hit in the leg. In his final moments, Sergeant Tuozzolo yelled 'Gun!' to warn his fellow officers, an act credited with saving their lives.
The other officers on the scene returned fire, killing Rosales. Both wounded sergeants were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where Sergeant Tuozzolo was pronounced dead. Sergeant Kwo was treated for his injuries and later released. The suspect, Manuel Rosales of Brentwood, Long Island, had a lengthy criminal history with 17 prior arrests in Suffolk County. He was killed in the exchange of gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests were made as the sole suspect was killed. Sergeant Tuozzolo, a 19-year veteran of the NYPD, was posthumously promoted to Sergeant Special Assignment and awarded the Medal of Honor.
