NYPD addresses accidental gunfire incident at Columbia University
Responding to inquiries regarding the delayed disclosure of the incident, the NYPD said the department's average of about eight accidental discharges per year.
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The NYPD addressed an incident involving the unintentional discharge of a firearm during its Tuesday operation at Columbia University.
It happened as officers were attempting to gain access to Hamilton Hall where protesters were barricaded.
Assistant Chief Carlos Valdez, of the Emergency Services Unit, briefed reporters on Friday, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“He made the decision to transition his firearm from his dominant hand to his non-dominant hand,” said Valdez.
According to Valdez, the incident occurred while a sergeant of the Emergency Services Unit was conducting a search on the first floor of Hamilton Hall.
As the officer attempted to open a locked office door, he unintentionally fired his weapon, which is equipped with a flashlight.
"The team gained access to the office and found that there was nobody inside," stated Valdez. "In this case, the bullet landed on the floor and didn’t travel anywhere else, so it was apparent that it had struck no one."
Responding to inquiries regarding the delayed disclosure of the incident, the NYPD said the department's average of about eight accidental discharges per year.
“Moving forward, we will obviously council the officer and send him for retraining and re-evaluate him and take it from there. He's a very experienced officer; he's been in the unit for almost eight years,” said Valdez.
