Kevin Brennan, the Irish American NYPD cop, shot in the back of the head on Tuesday night, is “in and out of consciousness” according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who visited the officer in hospital.

He explained, “That’s because of the morphine, I’m told…He was obviously in a lot of pain and continues to be in pain.”

Janet, Brennan’s wife, called her father from the hospital, according to Fox NY. She told him that the impact of being shot in the head “was like getting hit with a sledgehammer”.

Joseph Dempsey said “She was shaken up, but she was holding it together. She told me that his peripheral vision was affected and he was in a lot of pain.”

The 29-year-old plainclothes police officer, from Long Island, is expected to remain at Bellevue Hospital for several weeks.

Commissioner Kelly said “He was shot at very close range. It entered ... the right rear portion of his skull. There was a very large hole there."

Dr. Eli Kleinman, the NYPD's supervising chief surgeon explained that ER doctors were able to treat Brennan by numbing the wound and “coaxing” the bullet out with their fingers.

The Brennan family’s spokesman told NBC New York that his family is “incredibly grateful -- he's a lucky, lucky guy."

Brennan’s six week old daughter, Maeve, is being cared for by family members.

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Masi said “One of the first things he asked for was Maeve, and I know he can't wait to see her."

The NYPD cop lives in Garden City Park, on Long Island. His emotional landlord told NBC that Brennan is generous and wonderful and “the first guy to shovel snow for you."

"I don't know why people do that -- put themselves in the line of duty to get hurt."
Brennan’s neighbor, John Skinner, a retired NYPD cop, called his survival "an act of God" and said it was "one for the good guys…He's alive and the other guy's in jail."

Commissioner Kelly said the suspected shooter, Luis “Baby” Oritz, was armed with a .38 caliber handgun, with three bullets left in the chamber.

Before his confrontation with Brennan, Oritz had fired two other shots at a man “with whom he had a staredown” said Kelly.

Brennan was on duty with the Brooklyn North Anti-Crime United. He responded to a call of a man with a gun and chased Ortiz through a housing project at 140 Moore Street, Bushwick.

Kelly said “We do have some video that I’ve seen. You see the officer right on top of this individual, or an effort to tackle him.”

According to Kelly, Brennan had “his gun out”.

He said “You also see that Ortiz has a gun in his hand. They struggle and fall in sort of an alcove where you can't actually see the shot, but you see Ortiz with his arm around the officer's head and then he's shot.

"He doesn't move after he's shot."

Three hours after the incident Ortiz (21) was found at his friend’s house on Bushwick Avenue. Ortiz was know by his neighbors as “a violent terror who runs with the Latin Kings” (a local gang).