The NYPD has released dramatic body camera footage of an officer-involved shooting that took place in New York City on October 22^nd.

Two police officers were dispatched to a sixth-floor apartment on West 143d Street in Hamilton Heights after receiving reports of a suicidal man inside.  The video, which was released earlier this week, shows the perspective of Officer Alvin Pizarro, an eleven-year veteran of the force, and the officer that discharged his weapon.  In the footage, you can also see Officer Gino Guerra, a rookie officer who was accompanying Pizarro for field training, as the two men knock on the door of 27-year-old Paris Cummings.

The footage shows the two officers approach the door and confirm they’ve found the address in question.  As the door opens, Pizarro first asks, “How you doing?” before seeing the knife in Cummings’ hand.

Cummings, who initially walks away from the door then turns and begins closing with the officers, brandishing the weapon in a threatening manner.  The officers back away, issuing clear verbal commands to Cummings to “put the knife down.”  As Cummings continues to pursue the officers, Pizarro draws his weapon and fires a single round, striking Cummings in the leg and ending his approach.  The video then cuts to black.

Although it’s difficult to make out in the video, Cummings was actually holding not one, but two knives as he pursued the officers tasked with checking on his safety.  He was taken from the apartment building on a stretcher for medical treatment and has been charged with the attempted murder of a police officer.  Investigators were able to recover both knives at the scene.

According to police, Cummings had already stabbed himself once in the neck before they arrived at the scene, and the troubled man was treated for that wound as well as the gunshot upon being taken into custody.  Cummings has since recovered from his injuries and will stand trial for his attempt on the officers’ lives.

Based on Cummings’ behavior in the video, it seems possible that he was attempting to commit “suicide by cop.”  By attacking the two officers with his knives, he may have hoped they would be forced to kill them in order to ensure their safety.  However, thanks to the quick actions of Officer Alvin Pizarro, no one was killed during the ordeal.

You can watch the dramatic footage below:

Image courtesy of YouTube