Feb. 17, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 15
NYPD searching for answers
Probe continues amid mourning over friendly fi re loss of 102nd Precinct veteran
BY MARK HALLUM
NYPD officials provided an
update as they continue an investigation
into a case of friendly
fire that left one detective
dead and another injured in the
102nd Precinct Tuesday night.
The NYPD revealed that
42 rounds were fired when
up to seven officers responded
to the robbery in which
the suspect was wielding an
imitation firearm.
Det. Brian Simonsen and
Sgt. Matt Gorman arrived at
the T-Mobile store located at 91-
62 120th St. when he and a sergeant
were caught in the crossfire
of five other members of
the 102nd Precinct who arrived
moments after the two plainclothes
officers.
An NYPD spokesman said
the 27-year-old suspect was seen
going into the store with a ski
mask and when officers arrived,
the man charged toward law enforcement
officers. Simonsen
fired two rounds alongside Gorman,
but was struck in the chest
by a fellow officer, according to
the NYPD, and was then transported
in an unmarked car to
Jamaica Hospital.
“At this hour, I will tell you
that this appears to be an absolute
tragic case in friendly fire,”
Commissioner James O’Neill
said at a press conference at Jamaica
Hospital Tuesday night.
“This is an absolute tragedy.
The worst outcome any police
officer or family of a police officer
could ever imagine. And
the sympathies and prayers of
the entire New York City Police
Department are with a family
and colleagues of Detective Simonsen
tonight. And I hope that
all New Yorkers understand
how difficult the job that have
an NYPD officer is.”
Gorman was recovering
Police survery the scene in Richmond Hill, where a 19-year veteran of the NYPD lost his life and a fellow officer
suffered injuries in a case of friendly fire while responding to a robbery at a Richmond Hill cellphone store.
Continued on Page 14 Continued on Page 12
Photo by Robert Stridiron
Two indicted in
pair of Queens
cold cases
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A South Ozone Park man was
one of two men indicted for their alleged
roles in a pair of murders in
the neighborhood nearly 30 years
ago, prosecutors said.
Darin “Snatch” Hamilton, 60,
was charged alongside Jerome
“Sha” Jones, 54, of West Virginia.
Hamilton is charged with the intentional
murder of Anthony Lloyd
while engaged in narcotics trafficking,
and both defendants are
charged with the murder of Robert
Arroyo while engaged in narcotics
trafficking, as well as conspiracy to
do the same.
“As today’s charges make clear,
we will not let the passage of time
deter us from bringing murderers
to justice. It is our hope that this
prosecution will bring some measure
of consolation to the families
of the victims,” United States Attorney
Richard Donoghue said Feb. 6.
According to charges, Hamilton
and Jones were alleged members
of Queens-based crew that
called itself “Black Rain,” and sold
narcotics at several locations on
Queens County Dems
endorse Katz for DA BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
BY BILL PARRY
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz
picked up major support Monday when the
Queens County Democratic Organization voted
to endorse her campaign for District Attorney.
Katz’s coalition of support includes the New
Escape room to open in Rego Park
Puzzle Break Long Island
is constructing a new
adventurous premiere escape
room opening soon in
Rego Park.
In the works for about
six to eight months now,
the escape room will occupy
the former offices of the
Queens Chronicle, a storefront
at 62-33 Woodhaven
Blvd. The Chronicle relocated
to Glendale several
years ago.
With locations in Long
Island, Seattle, Massachusetts,
and on Royal Caribbean
cruises, this will be
Puzzle Break’s first location
in Queens.
“We’re already out in
Long Island and we love
the Queens area that we’re
going into, which is by the
Queens mall and Atlas
The exterior of the new Puzzle
Break Escape Room on Woodhaven
Boulevard in Rego Park.
Photo by Robert Pozarycki
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