Police Release Video Of Shooting Of Unarmed Man In Harlem

HARLEM, NY — Police on Wednesday released body camera footage showing the 2019 shooting of a man who had allegedly threatened neighbors and officers inside a Harlem apartment building.

Michael Cordero, then 34, was shot and wounded by an officer on March 5, 2019 after claiming he had a gun and pointing an object at officers that turned out to be a wallet.

His parents later protested the shooting, saying Cordero suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and that the officers should have been better trained in dealing with mental illness.

Police had responded to the apartment building at 234 West 114th St. after two 911 callers reported that Cordero had been banging on walls and aggressively approaching residents on the building's fifth floor. One caller said Cordero was waving a gun.

The video released Wednesday begins with security camera footage showing Cordero walking through the hallway and confronting a neighbor. Within 10 minutes, 10 police officers arrived at the building and took the elevator to the fifth floor.

Watch the video below (warning: may be disturbing):

Right after the elevator doors open, the officers encounter Cordero in the hallway, holding his hands in his pockets. One officer tells Cordero to "stay right there" and "get your hands out of your pocket," to which he responds, "What you mean, get my hands out of my pocket? I got a gun."

Cordero then raises the black wallet and points it at the officers, the video shows. One officer, identified by the name Tarricone, fires three shots, hitting Cordero in the left pelvis and buttocks, police said.

He was arrested and treated for his injuries at Mount Sinai Saint Luke's Hospital. Police later charged Cordero with burglary, menacing and criminal contempt, among other offenses.

After a yearlong investigation, the NYPD's Use of Force Board determined that the officer's use of force had been justified by department guidelines, the NYPD said Wednesday.

Sanford Rubenstein, the lawyer representing Cordero's family in 2019, said Wednesday that he was no longer their attorney.

Previous coverage: Harlem Man Shot By NYPD Will Face Charges, Police Say