FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 25, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Brooklyn man sentenced in 2019 death of NYPD detective
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Brooklyn man who started the
chain of events at a Richmond Hill cellphone
$1M Powerball ticket sold in Jackson Heights 7-Eleven
BY NATALIE LOWIN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Queens residents have continued a
lucky streak with a Powerball winning
ticket worth $1 million sold in Jackson
Heights on Nov. 8.
Th e second-prize ticket for the Nov.
8 drawing was purchased at a 7-Eleven
located at 79-01 Northern Blvd. It had four
matching numbers, with the Powerball
randomly selected on live TV.
For the Powerball game, the winning
numbers are drawn from a fi eld of one to
69. Th e Powerball number is drawn from
a separate fi eld one to 26.
Th e Powerball drawing is televised
every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
at 11 p.m.
Th e New York Lottery continues to be
North America’s largest and most profi table
lottery, contributing $3.59 billion in
fi scal year 2020-21, to help support education
in New York state.
New Yorkers struggling with a gambling
addiction, or who know someone
who is, can fi nd help by calling the
state’s toll-free, confi dential HOPEline at
877-8-HOPENY (877-846-7369) or by
texting HOPENY (467369). Standard text
rates may apply.
store in 2019 that led to the friendly
fi re killing of NYPD Detective Brian
Simonsen was sentenced to 33 years in
prison Wednesday morning, Nov. 17,
according to Queens District Attorney
Melinda Katz.
Christopher Ransom, 30, formerly of
St. John’s Place, pleaded guilty to
charges of aggravated manslaughter
in October
before Queens Supreme
Court Justice Kenneth
Holder, who handed
down the sentence.
Ransom also pleaded
guilty to another cellphone
store robbery
that occurred on
Feb. 8, 2019.
According to
court records, on
the night of Feb.
12, 2019, Ransom
and an accomplice,
Jagger Freeman,
used a fake gun to
hold up the T-Mobile
store on 120th Street
shortly aft er 6 p.m.
Ransom entered the
business brandishing
what appeared to be a
black pistol and ordered two employees
inside to surrender both cash and merchandise
from the back of the store.
Ransom was still inside the location
when police offi cers from the 102nd
Precinct responded to the scene. Ransom
proceeded to point the weapon, which
appeared real, at the police offi cers, who
opened fi re in response.
An NYPD investigation found that
seven of the offi cers fi red 42 shots from
both sides of the store. Simonsen, a
19-year veteran of the NYPD, who spent
his entire career at the 102nd Precinct,
was struck in the chest and died while he
was transported in an unmarked car to
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
A second offi cer, Sergeant Matthew
Gorman was seriously injured with a bullet
wound to his left leg and Ransom was
struck eight times in the crossfi re.
Simonsen had been representing his
precinct’s rank-and-fi le during a union
meeting on the day he was killed. Mayor
Bill de Blasio later said the detective could
have “called it a day” and gone home, but
he rushed to the T-Mobile store when the
call came in.
Simonsen was 42 years old.
“My hope is that the family of Detective
Brian Simonsen may fi nally have some
closure with the sentencing of this defendant,”
Katz said. “His lawless, selfi sh
behavior set the terrible events of that day
in motion. He committed one of several
robberies and terrifi ed the employees
of that cellphone store before
drawing the fi re of police.
Th e heartbreaking result
was the loss of Detective
Simonsen and the injury of
Sergeant Matthew Gorman.”
Th e Legal Aid Society served as
counsel for Ransom.
“With this plea agreement, Christopher
Ransom takes full responsibility for his
actions. Th e resolution of the case, however,
should not detract from the immense
physical and emotional pain that he continues
to endure as a result of the injuries sustained
in the NYPD’s friendly fi re shootout,”
Th e Legal Aid Society said in a statement.
“Th e police fi red 42 shots in 11 seconds
that night, shooting Mr. Ransom eight
times. He will carry physical scars and emotional
trauma from this event for the rest of
his life. Despite this, Mr. Ransom is committed
towards seeking rehabilitation and
redemption. We hope that the NYPD also
takes this opportunity to reexamine their
own procedures and training so that a tragedy
like this never happens again.”
Detective Simonsen was survived by his
wife, Leanne, who was in the courtroom
and delivered an impact statement directed
toward Ransom before the sentencing.
“Brian was my perfect man and your
reckless actions took him away,” she said.
“It is a Christian thing to forgive you. At
this time I can’t forgive you.”
Detective Paul Giacomo, Simonsen’s
longtime partner, said, “Brian was a
world-class detective. We miss him dearly
at the 102nd Precinct. I want to thank the
prosecution for doing an outstanding job
and getting the family justice.”
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell.
Leanne Simonsen, wife of Detective Brian Simonsen, delivered an impactful statement regarding
the death of her husband.
REUTERS/Mike Sugar
Photos by Lloyd Mitchell
Officers from the 102nd
Precinct after the sentencing.
Christopher Ransom was sentenced to 33 years for starting the events
that led to friendly-fi re shooting death of NYPD Detective Brian
Simonsen in 2019.
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