By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- NYPD Emergency Service Unit Detective Matthew Gale was released from Kings County Hospital on Tuesday, June 23, following a gunshot wound to his left leg sustained during a standoff with an armed suspect in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Friday, June 19.
- The suspect, 48-year-old Lamin Simmons, fired more than 20 rounds at officers from his Kosciuszko Street home near Marcy Avenue before being struck by return fire and dying at Woodhull Hospital Center.
- Officers responded around 5:45 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing gunfire inside Simmons’ two-story brownstone; the standoff lasted more than two hours.
- An elderly couple sheltering in a second-floor apartment remained unhurt during the exchange, while Simmons’ wife and son safely evacuated the premises.
- NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated Gale’s tibia was fractured by gunfire and praised the detective’s courage and the officers’ professionalism during the extended confrontation.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — NYPD Detective Matthew Gale was discharged from Kings County Hospital on Tuesday to applause from hundreds of fellow officers after recovering from a leg injury sustained during a tense standoff with an armed suspect in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Gale, assigned to the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit, was wounded on Friday, June 19, when officers responded to reports of gunfire at a residence on Kosciuszko Street near Marcy Avenue. The shooting occurred approximately 5:45 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing gunshots inside a two-story brownstone.
Upon arrival, officers encountered the armed suspect, identified as 48-year-old Lamin Simmons, who held a firearm. Officers retreated from the immediate confrontation and established a perimeter around the residence while attempting to negotiate Simmons’ surrender. Neighbors reported hearing Simmons refuse repeated police commands to surrender, stating he had a gun and would shoot anyone who entered.
The standoff extended over two hours as officers maintained negotiations with Simmons. During the extended confrontation, Simmons fired more than 20 rounds at officers. A round struck Gale in the left leg, fracturing his tibia, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Simmons’ wife and son safely evacuated the residence early in the standoff. However, an elderly couple residing in a second-floor apartment were unable to leave and sheltered in place during the gunfire exchange. The couple remained unharmed throughout the incident.
Officers returned fire, striking Simmons. He was transported to Woodhull Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Detective Gale was wheeled from the hospital sitting upright on a gurney, smiling and waving to hospital staff and dozens of officers who lined the exit to applaud his recovery.
Commissioner Tisch released a statement commending Gale’s actions. “Detective Gale put himself in harm’s way to protect others. His courage reflects the best of the NYPD and serves as a reminder of the risks our officers face every time they put on their uniform.”
Mayor Mamdani thanked all officers involved in the standoff for their response to what he characterized as an immensely challenging situation handled with professionalism and calmness.
Neighbors indicated that Simmons and his family had resided on the block for more than three decades prior to the incident.