Yonkers Det. Brian Menton released from the hospital nearly 2 weeks after he was shot on the job
NEW YORK -- The sounds of bagpipes and applause rang out at a Bronx hospital Tuesday morning, as a Yonkers detective was discharged almost two weeks after suffering a life-threatening gunshot wound.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, there was a tremendous show of support for Det. Brian Menton. First responders gathered as he left Jacobi Hospital.
Menton is very private and asked that he be screened from view while being transported to the ambulance.
He was shot in the stomach and critically injured during a gun-buy surveillance operation on April 20.
The near-tragedy happened during Menton's final days on the job. His retirement became official last Thursday.
Chris Sapienza, the acting commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department, said Menton is widely considered one of the best to ever wear the badge.
"Brian is a reluctant hero but a hero nonetheless. He got hurt doing this job and doing it under very difficult circumstances," Sapienza told Aiello.
"He has gotten more guns off the street than you can count. He has made us all safe," Yonkers PBA Vice President Frank McDonald added.
McDonald mentioned Menton's twin brother, Jimmy, who is also in law enforcement. He was on the job with his brother and helped rush him to Jacobi after the shooting.
"I would say he had one foot and four toes at the pearly gates. He was really, really sick. Jimmy made the decision to do two things, both get him here right away and call us ahead of time," said Dr. Sheldon Teperman, Jacobi's trauma medical director.
"We don't love walkouts, but we like them much more than funerals. This staff here, the hospital staff, is unbelievable. Chief of surgery, he saved his life, as did his brother. So we're very grateful about that," McDonald added.
The gunman, 28-year-old Bryant Jackson, was shot dead at the scene by an FBI agent.
Menton still faces a long recovery, but he'll do it at home after leaving the hospital.
It was a dramatic end to a distinguished law enforcement career.
