On May 26, 1998, Anthony Mosomillo, a 36-year-old white male and a 14-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, was killed in the line of duty in Brooklyn, New York. Officer Mosomillo and his partner were attempting to arrest a parolee, Jose Serrano, for missing a court appearance. They proceeded to an apartment in East Flatbush to serve a bench warrant.
Upon arrival, the suspect's girlfriend, Betsy Ramos, falsely informed the officers that Serrano was not present.
The officers, disbelieving her, proceeded to search the residence. When they opened a closet in a back room, Serrano emerged and a violent struggle ensued. During the altercation, Ramos attacked both officers, which resulted in Officer Mosomillo's partner's handgun being knocked loose. Serrano gained control of the firearm and shot Officer Mosomillo four times. Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Mosomillo managed to return fire, killing Serrano at the scene. Officer Mosomillo was transported to Kings County Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during surgery hours later.
Betsy Ramos was arrested and subsequently convicted of manslaughter for her role in the incident. She was sentenced to a 20-year prison term. After serving her sentence, she was released in December 2019 but was then re-sentenced to an additional two years in federal prison for violating the terms of a prior parole.
