The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed on Thursday that an officer's gun accidentally fired while removing pro-Palestinian protesters from a Columbia University building this week.
Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident on Tuesday. According to the NYPD statement, the bullet struck a wall frame a few feet away from the officer. A press conference regarding the episode is scheduled for Friday at 11:30 AM.
The unidentified officer was approaching a barricade on the first floor of Hamilton Hall when his gun, equipped with a flashlight attachment, accidentally fired, the NYPD reported. The officer's body camera captured the incident, and the footage has been handed over to the Manhattan district attorney's office.
News of the accidental fire only came to light on Thursday after a local news outlet, The City, reported a shot being fired inside Hamilton Hall as police cleared the Columbia campus. This marked the second time in two weeks Columbia officials requested police assistance in removing demonstrators. These requests have sparked division within the university community, with officials facing both praise and criticism for their actions.
Nationally, over 2,000 people have been arrested at campus protests. University officials nationwide have emphasized their efforts to balance free speech with campus security. Thankfully, most campus protests across the country have remained peaceful.
Columbia officials stated they had no choice but to contact police on Tuesday, ending a tense 24-hour period after talks with protestors broke down. Following the breakdown, some demonstrators left their encampment and occupied Hamilton Hall, a building with a long history of student activism dating back to the 1960s. That night, police arrested over 100 people on campus and outside the school gates.
