SWAT officer recounts Pulse Nightclub shooting survival after 10 years

Exclusive: Officer Recalls Being Shot at Pulse Nightclub

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By Angel Green and Shannon Butler

ORLANDO, Fla. — Mike Napolitano, a SWAT officer, survived being shot in the helmet during the Pulse Nightclub tragedy 10 years ago while trying to rescue people trapped inside.

Napolitano’s survival was aided by his helmet, after the shooter’s AR-15 rifle jammed during the confrontation, preventing further deaths.

SWAT officer Mike Napolitano A SWAT officer survived being shot in the helmet during the Pulse Nightclub tragedy 10 years ago while rescuing people. His helmet helped him survive after the shooter's AR-15 jammed, preventing more deaths.

Napolitano is sharing his account in an exclusive interview with Channel Nine on the 10-year anniversary of the event.

The operation at Pulse Nightclub transitioned from an active shooter scenario to a barricaded gunman hostage situation. This interview provides a firsthand account of the tragedy’s critical moments.

Channel 9 reporter Shannon Butler conducted the exclusive interview, detailing the officer’s experience from the initial call to the immediate aftermath of being struck by a bullet.

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