A Brooklyn man died after firing a gun at New York City police officers in Bedford-Stuyvesant, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Detective Matthew Gale, a 15-year veteran, was shot in the left leg at 190 Kosciuszko St., after police officers responded to a 911 call after about seven shots being fired inside a two-story brownstone, Tisch said at a midday press conference.
After trying to make contact with the individual inside, identified as Lamin Simmons, police officers entered the home to find Simmons holding a firearm. Officers withdrew from the residence and requested additional specialized support after finding out the suspect had a history of mental illness, Tisch said.
An elderly couple was not able to escape their home on the second floor so the police instructed them to lock their bedroom door. Simmons then started to throw objects out the rear window, including a microwave, pots and pans and other kitchen goods, Tisch said.
Drone footage showed Simmons holding a gun in his left hand, Tisch said.
Once the police entered back into the brownstone, they found Simmons at the top of the stairs and gave multiple orders to drop the gun. Refusing, he fired about 20 rounds and stuck Gale in the leg. Four officers returned fire and Simmons was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe the incident began as a dispute between Simmons and the elderly couple.
"What happened this morning is a reminder that the men and women of the NYPD routinely place themselves between danger and the people that they serve. They enter situations that are uncertain and volatile and often life-threatening," Tisch said. "Detective Gale put his life on the line doing exactly that."
