NYPD Releases Body-Cam Footage Of Harlem Police Shooting

HARLEM, NY — The New York City Police Department released body-worn camera footage Wednesday that shows the moment two officers shot and killed a Harlem man in October.

Victor Hernandez, 29, died after being shot ten times in an apartment building on Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 148th Street during the early morning hours of Oct. 23, police said. Hernandez was engaged in a struggle with a police officer who he had shot at over the officer's service weapon when he was shot, police said.

Shouts of "shoot him" could be heard as 17 shots rang out in the apartment building's hallway, according to the body camera footage. Police were called to the building when residents reported that Hernandez was naked and harassing people. The behavior was described as erratic for Hernandez, who worked in the building as a super, police officials said.

Video released by the NYPD Wednesday includes footage captured on the body-worn cameras of two officers who fired shots at Hernandez, security camera footage from the building and recordings of police radio transmissions.

Watch the full NYPD video below. Body camera footage begins about 12 minutes into the video:

Police officers searched the building and found Hernandez on the second floor armed with a Jimenez nine-millimeter pistol, police officials said following the October shooting. Hernandez engaged police in a standoff for several minutes before police officer Chrisopher Wintermute walked down the building hallway to engage the man.

When Wintermute reached the end of the hallway, a violent struggle ensued, Maloney said. During the struggle both Hernandez and Wintermute fired their guns, with one round from Hernandez's pistol striking Wintermute in the chest. The bullet destroyed Wintermute's body camera, and footage could not be recovered, police said. Ballistic analysis confirmed that the bullet that struck Wintermute was fired from Hernandez's gun and was not friendly fire.

Wintermute's bulletproof vest prevented him from being seriously injured, police said. The police officer was treated for wounds he suffered during the physical struggle in stable condition at St. Luke's Hospital.