New footage of Pulse shooting shows perspective of officers in the club

ORLANDO, Fla. — New footage from the night of the Pulse nightclub shooting was released to Channel 9 Wednesday, showing first-hand what law enforcement officers experienced the night gunman Omar Mateen opened fire in the club and killed 49 people and injured more than 50 others.

The 11 hours of video shows the turmoil officers went through as they made their way into the club, only to be met with the sounds of gunfire and dozens still inside.

The videos, which were taken from body cameras of officers from departments across Central Florida, show the tense moments as they tried to find Mateen.

Into the danger

Belle Isle police Officer Brandon Cornwell was one of the first to arrive at Pulse nearly a year ago.

His body cam video shows officers inside the club engaging Mateen, protecting other officers from potential gunfire and getting victims to safety.

As Cornwall arrived to the scene on June 12, his body cam captured the moment he grabbed his long gun and ran inside toward the danger to help.

Victims screamed and cried out for help in the bathroom, as officers commanded Mateen to come out with his hands up.

Mateen was holed up in the bathrooms with victims before officers were able to take him down.

Watch: Belle Isle police body cam video shows Pulse the night of the attack

Cornwell relived the moment later that morning outside chatting with another officer.

“I couldn’t see the guy. He came out of the left bathroom. We were stacked up and the guys that were in front right there just started shooting at him,” he said.

Moments after those shots were fired, Cornwell said a little prayer.

“Lord Jesus, watch over me,” he said.

Getting victims out of the club

But it was Cornwell who watched over victims.

His camera captured the moment he cleared the victims inside to get them to medics.

“I got a guy shot in the chest, he’s from there. He’s still breathing,” he said as he helped a group of club goers who were trying to carry the man out of the club.

He and other officers remained on scene in the club after dispatch told them there could be explosives inside.

“Guys, we're getting a report that somebody in one of the bathrooms may have an explosive device strapped to him, just so you know, you may not want to stay there," said the dispatch operator.

Confusion, chaos at the scene

The videos also detail confusion on scene as a false call came in of a second shooter at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Officers are seen scrambling into the back of a pickup truck and later storming into the hospital.

Back at Pulse, officers were staged and ready to fire as negotiations with Mateen continued.

Lights were still flashing on the dance floor, which was littered with ringing cellphones that would never be answered.

Shooter down

Officers stayed there until the end as 14 fired their weapons at Mateen, after the wall to the club bathroom was broken down, ending the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

That position of the scene was not in the video.

Cox Media Group