NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A police officer was shot and a barricaded suspect killed by return gunfire after an hours-long standoff between the man and police at a Brooklyn residential building on Friday morning, the NYPD said.
The officer with the Emergency Services Unit, Detective Matthew Gale, was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County after being shot in the left leg. He is being treated for a tibial fracture and is expected to recover.
The 48-year-old suspect, Lamin Simmons, was shot in return gunfire, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. He was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull where he was pronounced dead.
Neighbors of the two-story brownstone apartment building on Kosciuszko Street in Bed-Stuy called police before 6 a.m. when they heard gunfire erupt next door. Police arrived as the suspect's wife and son managed to escape, though an elderly couple on the floor above could not get out. A responding hostage team got in contact with the couple and instructed them to lock their door.
"Both hostage negotiators and the family made multiple attempts to establish a dialogue with the perpetrator," Tisch said.
Attempts to talk were met by the perpetrator throwing large objects out a rear window into the backyard, including a microwave, lamp, pots, pans and other kitchen items. An NYPD drone confirmed the man was holding a gun, and he continued to fire from inside the building, officials said.
ESU officers eventually breached the building, where they spotted Simmons at the top of the stairs, on the same floor as the elderly couple. Police said that he refused to comply with requests to drop his weapon, and shot Gale. Officers returned fire, striking Simmons.
Over the course of the incident, the perpetrator fired approximately 20 rounds from inside of the residence, authorities said. Police recovered two weapons, including a baretta handgun, and a 380 caliber handgun.
According to Tisch, the incident may have been sparked by a dispute between Simmons and his neighbors. Family members told police he had a history of mental illness.
"I just visited with [Gale's] wife in the hospital and I'm grateful that he is expected to survive," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said from the press conference. "And I'm grateful to all of the incredible nurses and doctors and staff here at Kings County Hospital for doing everything that they can."
The incident was captured on body camera and via multiple drones, the NYPD said. The investigation is ongoing.
