On a Wednesday afternoon, March 25, 1992, in the Union Port section of the Bronx, 23-year-old Auxiliary Police Officer Armando Rosario was off-duty when he witnessed a robbery. Near the intersection of Lafayette and Castle Hill Avenues, a man who had just left a bank was being robbed at gunpoint. Without hesitation, Officer Rosario, who was with a friend, intervened and began chasing the armed suspect.
The pursuit led them into a dead-end courtyard between a church and a nursing home.
Cornered, the suspect turned on Officer Rosario and opened fire with a. 25 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Officer Rosario was struck by gunfire in the chest and leg. He was rushed to Jacobi Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Witnesses from the neighborhood saw the suspect flee the churchyard and hide in some nearby bushes. They flagged down a patrol car, and responding officers were able to apprehend the suspect within minutes of the shooting. They also recovered the weapon used in the attack and the stolen property from the initial robbery. The suspect was subsequently arrested and faced charges of murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Armando Rosario had been a dedicated volunteer with the Auxiliary Police for four years, assigned to the 46th Precinct Auxiliary Police Unit. He was survived by his mother and brother.
