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The incident took place around 1:50 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23, when eight police officers responded to a 911 call by a resident in Harlem, saying a male neighbor was harassing her, banging on doors and breaking glass, said NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill.
The officers went to the second floor of the building to investigate the complaint and to locate the man, O'Neill said.
As the officers fanned out to search the second-floor hallway, one officer, identified as Christopher Wintermute, 34, of Orange County, suddenly encountered the suspect, standing naked, pointing a 9mm semi-automatic handgun at the officer.
A violent struggle immediately began, and shots were fired, O'Neill said.
"The officer yelled for help as the struggle continued, and the other officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect several times," he added.
Wintermute, a seven-year veteran of the force, was shot one time in the chest.
"The round did not penetrate his bullet-resistant vest," O'Neill said. "Our officer had also been punched numerous times, resulting in injuries to his face."
The suspect, 29-year-old Victor Hernandez, the son of an NYPD officer, was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.
An NYPD spokesperson said Hernandez has had numerous other interactions with the police that involved domestic violence calls.
"This is the type of call NYPD cops respond to thousands of times a year," O'Neill said during a press conference. "But today, we were reminded - again - that no call is ever routine."
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