Killing of Dhal Apet and Lueth Mo
| Date | September 6, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | DeWitt, New York, U.S. |
| Type | Homicide by shooting, police killing |
| Filmed by | Surveillance video |
| Deaths |
|
| Accused | John Rosello |
On 6 September 2023, Dhal Apet, 17, and Lueth Mo, 15 (members of Syracuse, New York's South Sudanese community, whose parents had come to the U.S. as refugees from South Sudan), were fatally shot by John Rosello, 34, a deputy sheriff employed by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office in DeWitt, New York. Deputy Rosello was responding to reports related to car thefts and the burglary of a local smoke shop when he encountered Apet, Mo, and several others in a mobile home park. He confronted them with his handgun drawn at which point the teens attempted to elude the deputy in their vehicle which caused Rosello to open fire, believing he was in danger of being struck by the car.[1]
Incident
At approximately 9 p.m. on 5 September 2023, two cars, a Kia and a Hyundai, were stolen in Syracuse and involved in the burglary of two smoke shops in the Syracuse area, one in Oneida and another in DeWitt. The next morning, a 911 caller reported seeing individuals moving items from one vehicle to another in an empty lot in a mobile home park in DeWitt. Deputy John Rosello, a deputy since 2016 who was investigating one of the smoke shop burglaries, responded to the call as the description of the vehicles matched the description of those used in the burglaries.[2]
Responding to the call, Rosello drove towards the vehicles, impacting the front of a white Hyundai head on while the second vehicle, a Kia van, fled the scene. Apet, Mo, and a third individual attempted to drive off in the Hyundai when Rosello fired his service pistol three times, striking Apet and Mo. The car continued driving for several miles before crashing and Apet and Mo were found dead and dying. The driver of the vehicle was not located.[3]
Aftermath
Immediately after the shooting the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, the agency claimed that the teens attempted to run over Deputy Rosello and that he had opened fire in self-defense. Sheriff Tobias Shelley claimed that Rosello was caught between the vehicle and a heavy workbench and that Rosello "had nowhere to flee to." He was placed on a mandatory 72-hour paid administrative leave following the fatal shooting. Rosello was wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting but it was not placed into operation.[4]
The New York State Attorney General Office of Special Investigation is conducting an investigation into the incident which is standard procedure for officer-involved killings in the state of New York. Footage released by the agency on 12 September 2023 depicts the shooting from a security camera on a nearby home.[5]
Later in September, families of the deceased filed the notice of intent to sue the Sheriff's Office.[6]
See also
- Killing of Eddie Irizarry
- List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, September 2023
- List of unarmed African Americans killed by law enforcement officers in the United States
References
- ^ "Teens killed in car by deputy in upstate New York were 15 and 17, police say". ABC News. 2023-09-07. Archived from the original on 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Hayes, Anne (2023-09-12). "Video shows deputy shooting two Syracuse teens in stolen car". syracuse. Archived from the original on 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Hayes, Anne (2023-09-09). "Sheriff's office identifies deputy who fatally shot 2 Syracuse teens in stolen car". syracuse. Archived from the original on 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Anguish in an Immigrant Community After a Sheriff's Deputy Kills 2 Teens". The New York Times. 2023-09-18. Archived from the original on 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Investigation into the deaths of Dhal Apet and Lueth Mo". New York State Attorney General. 2023-09-06. Archived from the original on 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Families of teens shot by Onondaga Co. sheriff's deputy intend to sue". Spectrum News. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.