Officer discharged gun while clearing Columbia University building, authorities say

A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer discharged a gun while clearing a Columbia University building that had been taken over by protesters earlier this week, authorities said.

The Emergency Service Unit (ESU) officer “accidentally” fired a round while searching the first floor of the building, according to the department, which added that only law enforcement was in the vicinity when the gun went off.

The round did not hit anyone, but struck a frame in the wall, the NYPD added. 

“At approximately 2138 hours, an Emergency Service Unit officer was conducting an extensive and methodical search of an area on the first floor,” a spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. “During this time, he was attempting to access a barricaded area.”  

“The ESU officer has a firearm that is equipped with a flashlight, and he was illuminating the area to find the best way to navigate through the barricaded area. The officer accidentally discharged his firearm causing a single round to be discharged. The round struck a frame in the wall a few feet away. The round did not strike any persons and did not cause any injuries.” 

The spokesperson also said an “immediate” probe was conducted and officials determined the gun was discharged accidentally. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was given the body camera footage of the discharge, the spokesperson added. 

Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, called police to help clear out Hamilton Hall after protesters forced their way into the building on Monday and refused to leave on Tuesday. NYPD officers were seen entering the building through a second-floor window late Tuesday before clearing the building and disassembling two protest encampments. 

Pro-Palestine protests started popping up at Columbia and other schools in the last few weeks with students demonstrating the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and calling for their institutions to divest from Israel. 

Nearly 2,200 people have been arrested during the campus protests, according to The Associated Press, with more than 100 arrested during the crackdown at Columbia.