NYPD Det. Matthew Gale, of Long Island, shot in leg by suspect in Brooklyn
The NYPD responds to a police-involved shooting at 190 Kosciusko St. in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Friday. Credit: Stephen Yang for the New York Post
An NYPD detective from Long Island remained in stable condition Saturday afternoon at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, a day after being shot in the leg by a man who had barricaded himself in a Brooklyn brownstone and was killed by return fire from police, NYPD officials said.
Det. Matthew Gale, a 15-year veteran who police sources said is from Long Island, was being treated for a gunshot wound and a tibial fracture in his left leg, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
An NYPD source said Gale was due to have surgery and officials were hopeful he would be home for Father's Day on Sunday.
The shooting took place after police were called about 6 a.m. to a two-story brownstone on Kosciuszko Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood where a neighbor said a man was barricaded in his apartment and had fired shots, Tisch said.
Patrol officers arrived and heard additional gunfire when they tried to reach someone inside. After getting no response, officers went into the apartment and saw a man holding a firearm, Tisch said. Officers called for backup from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit.
Police were able to rescue the man’s wife and son, who told police he had a history of mental illness. The man was identified by police as Lamin Simmons, 48, who Tisch said fired 20 rounds in the home.
As police responded to the gunfire, they evacuated neighbors, and hostage negotiators tried to reach Simmons for more than two hours, Tisch said. Police said Simmons had began firing after a dispute with his upstairs neighbors, an elderly couple who were trapped in their apartment during the standoff, Tisch said.
Shortly after 8:30 a.m. Simmons began throwing large objects in the backyard, including a microwave, a lamp and pots and pans toward officers.
Emergency Services Unit officers went into the brownstone shortly before 9 a.m. and saw Simmons holding a gun at the top of the stairs, Tisch said. Police gave multiple orders to drop the gun when police said he opened fire, striking Gale in the leg.
Four officers returned fire, shooting Simmons, who was taken to Woodhull hospital where he was declared dead, Tisch said.
"What happened this morning is a reminder that the men and women in the NYPD routinely place themselves in danger, entering situations that are dangerous and volatile, and often life-threatening," Tisch said. "Today, Det. Gale put his life on the line and did exactly that."
NYPD records identify Gale as a detective specialist. He joined the force in July 2010 and was promoted to detective in 2019. He has received seven awards and commendations for excellent police duty. He is credited with 162 arrests, including 53 felonies.
Tisch and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited with Gale and his wife at the hospital, where they said he was in good spirits.
"Every day, thousands of NYPD officers go to great lengths to protect their fellow New Yorkers," Mamdani said. "What this ESU officer did this morning, Det. Matthew Gale, is what so many officers do each morning. He put on his uniform, left his house, he said goodbye to his family, and he went to his job to keep New Yorkers safe."
Gale's family could not be reached for comment Friday evening.
Newsday's Anthony M. DeStefano contributed to this story.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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