An NYPD officer accidentally fired a shot Tuesday night inside Hamilton Hall on the Columbia University campus as officers tried to clear the building of anti-Israel agitators, the New York Police Department confirmed Thursday.
The NYPD said in a statement to Fox News on Thursday that a shot was fired accidentally when an emergency services team officer attempted to enter a cordoned off area during an “extensive and methodical search” on the first floor.
The department said the unnamed officer had a firearm equipped with a flashlight that at one point accidentally discharged while illuminating the area. The round hit no one or caused any damage, but struck a frame on the wall a few feet away.
“No one other than police personnel saw or heard the accidental discharge,” the department said, adding that an “immediate investigation” into the incident proved it was an accident.
NYPD BODYCAM video shows police breaking into Columbia University building occupied by anti-Israel protesters
Anti-Israel agitators were trapped inside as NYPD officers in riot gear entered Hamilton Hall through the windows of Columbia University on Tuesday. (Keina Betancu/AFP via Getty Images)
Body camera footage of the incident was also provided to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Alvin Bragg had not commented on the incident as of Thursday evening.
The shooting occurred late Tuesday night when NYPD officers raided Hamilton Hall, where hundreds of anti-Israel agitators broke in and barricaded themselves inside for more than 20 hours.
Recently released police body camera video shows the moment officers broke into Hamilton Hall, wearing riot gear and using tools to open the front door, which was stacked with multiple chairs.
NYPD shares footage of raid to clear anti-Israel agitators from Hamilton Hall in Columbia
NYPD officers entered Hamilton Hall through a window at Columbia University as anti-Israel protesters were trapped inside the building in New York City on Tuesday. (Keina Betancu/AFP via Getty Images)
Many protesters did not university students, But beyond the instigators, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said Thursday on “Your World Cavuto.”
Authorities were only allowed to move protesters off campus after universities formally requested help, Shepard said, adding that several of the city’s universities have asked the NYPD to have a presence on their campuses until at least mid-May. .
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More than 100 protesters were detained during the crackdown. They were among more than 2,000 people arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the U.S. in recent weeks, according to an Associated Press count Thursday.
Bragg’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Luis Casciano contributed to this report.
