BRONX, N.Y. — Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark has concluded that NYPD officers were justified in the 2022 shooting of Luis Manuel Monsanto, 18, during a car stop in Morrisania, according to a newly released report.
The investigation found that officers fired four shots at Monsanto after he accelerated a Jeep toward one of them near Boston Road and East 165th Street on March 6, 2022. One bullet struck Monsanto in the head, leaving him with life-altering injuries.
Body-worn camera footage shows officers making a split-second decision to fire as the vehicle moved in their direction. “This devastating tragedy demanded a thorough investigation,” Clark said. “After careful review of the law concerning justification, an in-depth review of video, and extensive interviews of witnesses, the officers’ conduct meets the elements of justification under the law.”
Clark released the report and video footage to provide transparency to Monsanto’s family and the Bronx community.