One of the six Americans killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan Monday was a New York police detective serving in the U.S. Air National Guard, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said Monday evening.
Det. Joseph Lemm, a 15-year veteran of the department, was on routine security patrol with his convoy around Bagram Airfield north of Kabul around 1:30 p.m. local time when a suicide bomber drove a motorcycle into the convoy and blew himself up, NBC News reported.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Gov. Cuomo released a statement Tuesday morning saying Lemm and the other five Americans killed will be "greatly missed."
"Staff Sgt. Joe Lemm was committed to his fellow Americans, and embodied the selflessness and bravery of the U.S. Armed Forces and the NYPD. I join all New Yorkers in mourning his loss, as well as the loss of the other victims of this horrific attack," he said in the statement.
Mayor de Blasio echoed the sentiment, noting that Lemm's death comes just a year and a day after the deaths of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were both gunned down while sitting in their patrol cars in Brooklyn in 2014.
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"There can be no greater sacrifice than the one made by a member of our military or our police force, who put their lives on the line to protect Americans. Detective Joseph Lemm did both for 15 years. He gave his life, yet asked for little in return other than to serve his country and his fellow New Yorkers, who may not have known him in life, but mourn his death nonetheless," de Blasio said.
Six Americans in the convoy of U.S., NATO and Afghan forces were killed, including Lemm, while two other Americans and an interpreter were wounded, according to NBC News.
Lemm served in the Bronx warrant squad on the NYPD, and during his career on the force, he was also deployed three times, twice to Afghanistan and once to Iraq, Bratton said. He was promoted to NYPD detective in January of 2014.
The Air National Guard didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lemm is survived by his wife and two children, Bratton said.
"Detective Joseph Lemm epitomized the selflessness we can only strive for: putting his county and city first," Bratton said in a statement.
"Tonight, we grieve and we remember this selfless public servant who dedicated his life to protecting others," he said of Lemm.
