4 Thousands salute NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen
QUEENS WEEKLY, FEB. 24, 2019
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER, MARK
HALLUM AND ROBERT
POZARYCKI
Thousands of Police
officers from across
the country lined the
streets of Hampton Bays
on Wednesday to salute
fallen New York City police
Det. Brian Simonsen
at his funeral, where
he was remembered for
his dedication.
The 42-year-old was
a member of the NYPD’s
102nd Precinct Detective
Squad, where he worked
his entire 19 years on the
job, which NYPD Commissioner
James O’Neill
noted is a rarity these
days. Simonsen drove 140
miles round trip from his
home in Calverton to work
in Queens.
“Brian was the one you
were grateful to see arrive
at the scene,” O’Neill said
during the Catholic funeral
Mass at the Church of Saint
Rosalie. “He had a knack
for making people feel like
his best friend … Brian
knew how to talk to people,
and more importantly, he
knew how to listen.”
High-ranking elected
officials and dignitaries
turned out to show their
respects, as did members of
the community, who lined
the streets to say goodbye
Thousands of police officers from across the country lined Montauk Highway to salute NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen’s funeral
procession. Photo by Timothy Bolger
to the detective as his procession
slowly rolled down
Montauk Highway before
he was taken to Jamesport
Cemetery, where he was
laid to rest beside his sister
and father.
“All of us who came to
know Brian have come to
understand how exceptional
he truly was,” New York
City Mayor Bill de Blasio
said. “He was devoted to
his precinct.”
Simonsen, who made
600 arrests during his career,
was fatally struck by
friendly fire at the scene of
a robbery in Richmond Hill
last week.
NYPD officers responding
to a robbery at a T-Mobile
store on Atlantic Avenue
in Richmond Hill shot
Simonsen and his partner,
Sgt. Matthew Gorman, at
6:24 p.m. Feb. 12, police
said. Simonsen sustained
a gunshot wound to the
chest that proved fatal.
The sergeant, a Seaford
resident, was hit in the
leg and was treated at
Jamaica Hospital.
The alleged robber, 27-
year-old career criminal
Christopher Ransom, and
his accused lookout, 25-
year-old Jagger Freeman,
were charged with murder,
robbery, assault, and
weapons possession.
While wearing a mask
and displaying an imitation
gun, Ransom allegedly
forced two workers
into the rear of the store
in order to steal cash
and phones, according
to authorities.
Police went into the
T-Mobile store and after
spotting cops coming in,
authorities said, Ransom
allegedly pointed the imitation
gun at them and
charged, causing the officers
to exit the store.
Ransom allegedly continued
brandishing the
weapon after stepping outside
the shop and seeing
police. The officers opened
fire after Ransom appeared
to be firing his weapon.
At Wednesday’s funeral,
Simonsen’s cousin, fellow
NYPD officer Sean Peterson,
said it was “the proudest
day of our lives” when
they fulfilled their childhood
dreams of becoming
sworn officers.
“He died doing what he
loved,” Peterson said.
Noting that Simonsen was
known for living life to its fullest,
Peterson remembered his
cousin and colleague with a
quote from President Abraham
Lincoln: “It’s not the
years in your life that count. It
is the life in your years.”
College Pt. business offers free uniform cleanings for funeral
BY JENNA BACAL
In the wake of Det.
Brian Simonsen’s death, a
family-owned dry cleaning
service in College Point is
doing its part for officers
of the New York City Police
Department planning
to attend his funeral.
The owners of Whitepoint
Cleaners at 132-07
14th Ave. announced that
they would be offering free
uniform cleanings for all
police officers attending
Simonsen’s funeral, which
was held Feb. 20.
“In honor of Detective
Brian Simonsen, Whitepoint
Cleaners will clean
all uniforms of anyone
attending funeral free of
charge!!! God bless the
NYPD, FDNY & all first
responders,” wrote the
owners on the business’
Facebook page.
Whitepoint Cleaners
has been opened since
1965 in the Whitepoint
Shopping Center and has
offered similar services
to first responders in
the past.
Simonsen died as a result
of friendly fire when
he and Sgt. Matthew Gorman
responded to a robbery
at a T-Mobile store in
Richmond Hill Feb. 12.
The detective sustained
a gunshot wound and he
later succumbed to his
injuries. Gorman is currently
recovering from a
gunshot wound to his leg
at Jamaica Hospital.
The detective was a
19-year veteran of the
NYPD’s 102nd Precinct
and is survived by his wife
and mother.
Hundreds of NYPD
and state police officers
gathered on 135th Street
behind Jamaica Hospital
Feb. 12 to salute
Simonsen for his lifetime
of dedication to the
102nd Precinct.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone
at (718) 224-5863 ext. 214.
Whitepoint Cleaners offered to clean NYPD officers’ uniforms free of charge. Photo via Google Maps
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