NYPD COP KILLED
Hit by bomb in Afghanistan
Bronx Detective Joseph Lemm (above) was one of six American soldiers killed yesterday by a Taliban suicide bomber in Afghanistan, where he served with t he Ai r Nati onal Guard (left). Grieving fellow cops called him “Superman.”
An NYPD detective nicknamed “Superman” by his fellow cops was one of six US troops killed Monday in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, where he was serving in the Air National Guard.
Detective Joseph Lemm (left), 45, of the Bronx Warrant Squad was killed when a bombladen Taliban assassin on a motorcycle targeted a joint AmericanAfghan patrol near a major US air base.
“Earlier today, we lost one of our Finest in a suicide bombing in Bagram, Afghanistan,” Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Monday night. “Detective Joseph Lemm epitomized the selflessness we can only strive for: putting his country and city first.”
Lemm, a staff sergeant in the Guard, was nominated for a Post Liberty Medal in 2006 after he chased down a teen who had stabbed another youth.
He started out at the 48th Precinct and then moved to the Bronx Warrant Squad about five years ago.
Lemm, who lived in West Harrison in Westchester, County leaves behind a wife, Christine, and two children: a 17yearold daughter, Brook, and 4yearold son, Ryan.
The 15year NYPD veteran and native of Nebraska was a thirdgrade detective who was promoted under Bratton in January 2014.
“He was a great cop, very active,” said an officer who worked with Lemm in the Bronx Warrant Squad.
Another cop who worked with Lemm called him a “strong, strapping guy,” adding that he “looked like Clark Kent,” which led to his “Superman” nickname.
“Everyone is in shock,” the officer said. “It’s another week before Christmas and we have another cop we have to worry about burying and taking care of his family.”
Lemm was deployed three times as a member of the NYPD, twice in Afghanistan and once in Iraq, Bratton said.
“Tonight, we grieve and we remember this selfless public servant who dedicated his life to protecting others,” Bratton said.
By Monday night, after members of the US Air Force notified Lemm’s family of his passing, his home was full of grieving family, friends and fellow cops, a source said.
“He was the best,” Lemm’s landlord told The Post. “All I know is that this is a horrible tragedy.”
A buddy in Westchester said, “Joe was a great man and a great friend. He was full of life. We used to play basketball together.”
On his Facebook page, Lemm paid tribute to other fallen NYPD officers, including Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were murdered one year ago.
The Taliban attack marked the deadliest assault on international forces since August.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, in a statement, called the attack “a painful reminder of the dangers our troops face every day in Afghanistan.”
US Army Brig. Gen. William Shoffner, a Pentagon spokesman in Afghanistan, said, “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those affected in this tragic incident, especially during this holiday season.”