Shot NYPD Cop, in Trial Testimony, Recalls Alleged Gunman Saying “Die”

Sgt. Kevin Brennan was shot in a Brooklyn housing project on Jan. 31, 2012

An NYPD sergeant shot in the head while chasing a suspect in a Brooklyn housing project last year testified in the alleged gunman's trial Wednesday, describing how he heard the suspect tell him to "die" moments before losing consciousness.

Sgt. Kevin Brennan wiped tears from his eyes several times as he spoke in a Brooklyn courtroom at the murder trial of Luis Ortiz.

Brennan said his body started shaking after the shooting, and he heard the suspect say, "F--- you, die," before he passed out.

Surveillance video was played in court Wednesday, the first public look at the harrowing encounter. It shows Brennan tackling the suspect and lying motionless on the ground after getting shot.

Brennan had been responding to a call for shots fired and was trying to tackle the suspect when he was shot.

At the time, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called Brennan "one lucky young man" for surviving the bullet, which struck him at the base of his skull. The gunman in that case was arrested on a charge of attempted murder. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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