NYPD Releases Body Camera Footage Of Fatal Police-Involved Shooting In Harlem
WARNING: The above video contains content some viewers may find disturbing.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD has released body camera footage of a deadly police shooting in Harlem. At issue: whether the use of force was justified.
The NYPD body camera video was recorded during a police-involved shooting back in October.
Officers were responding to complaints about a naked man roaming the halls of a Harlem apartment building, but it escalated into a deadly confrontation.
It was just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 23 when gunfire erupted inside the building on the 2700-block of Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
Police say two NYPD officers opened fire on 29-year-old Victor Hernandez as he was struggling on the ground with Officer Christopher Wintermute, trying to grab the officer's gun.
Body cameras were recording as the suspect and Officer Wintermute yelled at responding officers. Hernandez screams "Shoot us" while Officer Wintermute yells "Shoot him."
Officers fired a total of 16 rounds. Hernandez, struck multiple times, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say earlier, Hernandez had been roaming the hallways naked, and 911 dispatchers relayed tenants' complaints, saying, "Female states ... kicked in door, the glass is breaking."
CCTV video from a building laundry room shows a naked Hernandez in a shooting stance as Officer Wintermute first discovers him.
Hernandez is seen firing one shot from a 9mm handgun. The slug gets lodged in Wintermute's bullet resistant vest, destroying his body camera and its video, but he is not seriously injured.
Wintermute was able to fire one shot before they tumbled to the ground. The two shots sent responding officers running toward the gunfire.
The Use of Force Review Board is now looking at the body camera video of the male and female officers who fired their weapons to see if the shooting was justified and within department guidelines.
Hernandez is the son of an NYPD officer. He did have a criminal record, including arrests for assault and robbery.
The NYPD says it will be releasing more of these types of body camera videos as part of the department's effort to increase transparency and improve police and community relations.
