Video Shows Police Shoot Unarmed Man In Harlem

HARLEM, NY — The NYPD released video of police officers shooting an unarmed man Tuesday night in a Harlem apartment building. The footage appears to be captured by a camera in the apartment building hallway where the man was shot.

Officers arrived at an apartment building on West 114th Street near Frederick Douglass Boulevard and were told by a witness that a man on the fourth floor had a gun, police said. After taking the building's elevator to the fourth floor, the officers encountered a man who "fit the description" provided by the witness.

When officers told the man to take his hands out of his pockets, he refused and stated that he was armed, NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison said Tuesday. Officers shot the man when he pointed an object at them in a "shooting stance," Harrison said.

The video released by the NYPD on Wednesday seems to confirm the account. The man shot by police is seen walking toward officers (who are off-camera) before reaching into his pockets and pulling out a black object. Bullets can be seen hitting the hallway's walls behind the man as he reacts to being shot in the thigh.

Police did not confirm what sort of object the man pointed at the officers, but made no mention of a gun or other weapon recovered from the scene.

The 34-year-old man, who has not been identified, was rushed to St. Luke's hospital in stable condition, an NYPD spokesman said. The man is expected to survive his wounds, police said.

Officers were taken to St. Luke's hospital for a medical evaluation, but were not harmed during the shooting, police said.

Footage of the shooting was also captured on cameras worn by police officers at the scene.

Watch the full video below: