Sgt. Matthew John Brunner was born on May 3, 1965, at St John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers to proud parents Fred and Geraldine Brunner. He was raised in the Riverdale section of the Bronx alongside older brother Tom, younger brother Christian and younger sister Kate. He attended St. Margaret of Cortona Elementary School through eighth grade, Fordham High School, and graduated from John Jay College in 2002. He completed his degree while attending night classes; juggling having a 2 year-old and an infant at home, while simultaneously maintaining second jobs in the evening. He majored in Forensic Psychology and graduated with honors.
Brunner entered the New York State Court Officer Academy on Nov. 14, 1988, and graduated on Dec. 12, 1988. The next day he started working at Bronx Criminal Court. On Nov. 3, 1994, Brunner was promoted to senior court officer and assigned to Bronx Supreme Court, Criminal Term. On Nov. 15, 2010, he was transferred to Bronx Supreme Court, Civil Term. On Nov. 17, 2016, he was promoted to New York State court officer sergeant and assigned to Bronx Supreme Court, Civil Term where he remained until his retirement on July 30, 2021.
Notably, except for one quick stop in Manhattan, he worked his entire career in his beloved Bronx County dedicating the majority of his career to the Bronx Supreme Courthouse, located at 851 Grand Concourse. Brunner has mentored so many officers that have followed behind him and gained the respect and love of the entire legal community which celebrated him on Sept. 17, 2021. On that date, he received a Certificate of Merit from the Bronx borough president and a citation from Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz, who represents Riverdale.
Brunner met the love of his life, Julianne (Jules) in 1991, in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale where they both grew up. They got married in 1999 and have four sons, Joseph, Jack, Matt and Will.
