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QUEENS WEEKLY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020
A HERO REMEMBERED
Det. Brian Simonsen, killed by friendly fi re a year ago, honored at Richmond Hill memorial Mass
BY BILL PARRY
A long line of blue filed into
Holy Child Jesus Church in Richmond
Hill Wednesday as hundreds
of NYPD officers honored
fallen Det. Brian Simonsen at a
memorial Mass marking the first
anniversary of his death. Simonsen
was killed by friendly fire on
Feb. 12, 2019 while responding to
a robbery at a T-Mobile store.
The 42-year-old man was a
member of the NYPD’s 102nd
precinct detective squad in Richmond
Hill, where he worked his
entire 19 years on the job. Burglary
suspect Christopher Ransom
allegedly charged at eight officers
pointing a fake gun at them
in an episode of “suicide by cop”
he would later say.
The officers fired 42 shots and
Simonsen was fatally struck and
killed.
“To the entire NYPD family
and especially to all the men and
women of the 102 Precinct, you
lost a brother, you’re feeling that
pain, are hearts are with you as
well,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
“When we lose a member of our
police force our whole city learns
about the life of a good man and
we learn it too late. We learn his
story and with Brian we learned
three things. I think very, very
vividly. One, how much he loved
his family. His blood family for
sure but his Police Department
family as well. He showed in so
many ways the love and the pride
he had.”
Simonsen, who made 600 arrests
during his career, drove 140
Police officers file into Holy Child Jesus Church in Richmond Hill to honor Det. Brian Simonsen a year after he was killed by friendly fire.
miles round trip from his home
in Calverton, Long Island to work
in Queens.
“I kind of found out a little
more about Brian, and I said to
myself, wow, this guy, wow, impressive,”
Chief of Detectives
Rodney Harrison said. “He is the
police. He did what he had to do
to take care of that community
and keep them safe. He had 19
years on the job, a lot of people
with 19 years on the job, they’re
parked behind a desk, give me a
desk, give me a phone, and leave
me alone. He was still out there
rocking and rolling, challenging
the bad guys.”
In addition to Simonsen’s wife
Leanna and family, students
from Holy Child Jesus Catholic
Academy attended the memorial.
Msgr. Robert J. Romano, Assistant
Chief Chaplain for the NYPD
and concelebrant of the Mass,
hoped that by attending the service,
children of the parish would
see how officers are more than
people who just wear a uniform.
“They’re dads and moms just
like theirs who try to bring a
family together, raise a family,”
he said. “I always use the imagery
Courtesy of Mayor’s office
of the family of blood and
the family of blue. When we put
them together, it’s one family and
we support those who have been
killed in the line of duty. We support
their families and they are
never forgotten.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
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