FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 14, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
Murder charge for alleged robbers in deadly R.H. heist
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e two suspects involved in last
month’s armed robbery in Richmond
Hill that led to the friendly fi re death of
an NYPD detective have been charged
with murder and other crimes, prosecutors
announced on March 11.
Christopher Ransom, 27, formerly of
St. John’s Place in Brooklyn, and Jagger
Freeman, 25, of Merrick Boulevard in
Jamaica, answered to charges on March
11 in a 23-count indictment linking them
to the death of NYPD Detective Brian
Simonsen and the wounding of Sergeant
Matthew Gorman, who responded to a
Feb. 12 at a T-Mobile cellphone store at
91-62 120 St. in Richmond Hill.
Ransom and Freeman were indicted
for second-degree murder, fi rst- and
second-degree robbery, second-degree
assault, third- and fourth-degree criminal
possession, said Chief Assistant District
Attorney John Ryan, on behalf of Queens
District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
According to Ryan, Ransom, who
was shot during the alleged robbery
is still hospitalized and was arraigned
this morning via video link, along with
Freeman, who appeared in court, before
Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth
C. Holder. Ransom is additionally
charged with second-degree aggravated
manslaughter.
Th e two men were remanded and
ordered to return to court on May 15,
2019. If convicted, both men face up to 50
years to life in prison, said Ryan.
“Th is was a tragic incident that should
have never happened,” said Ryan. “Th e
two defendants were allegedly on a robbery
spree – hitting cellphone stores –
but this time the heist went awry and
two veteran police offi cers were shot.
One defendant allegedly served as a lookout
and the other is accused of holding
up the store workers with a fake handgun.
Th e police, doing what they do every
day without hesitation, responded to the
scene. One of the defendants allegedly
ran at and pointed his fake gun at the
police and the responding offi cers fi red.
Detective Brian Simonsen was killed and
Sergeant Matthew Gorman was seriously
injured.”
According to Ryan, on Feb. 12, Ransom
and Freeman arrived together at the
T-Mobile store and shortly aft er 6 p.m.,
Freeman walked passed the store, peered
through the windows, and then communicated
via cellphone with Ransom.
Moments later, Ransom — wearing a
dark hoodie slung over his head with a
mask covering part of his face — entered
the store.
While Freeman was allegedly posted
outside as a look out, prosecutors noted,
Ransom allegedly brandished a black pistol
and ordered the two employees inside
the store to remove the cash from the registers
and remove the iPhone and cash
from the back room safes.
Shortly thereafter, authorities said,
Ransom allegedly exited the back room and
re-entered the main store area — still holding
what appeared to be a gun — as members
of the NYPD entered the location.
Aft er Ransom spotted the police retreat
from the store he allegedly exited with the
phony weapon and pointed it at police
offi cers, who immediately began to discharge
their weapons. Simonsen, 42, and
a 19-year-veteran of the NYPD, was fatally
shot once in the torso. Gorman, 31, was
seriously wounded as a result of being
shot in his left leg.
Ransom was shot but survived, and
Freeman ran from the scene the moment
gunfi re erupted.
Along with the Feb. 12 incident, Ryan
said, the pair were also charged with robbery
for hitting another T-Mobile location
on Feb. 8. Ransom was also indicted
for allegedly robbing from cellphone
stores on Oct. 23 and Oct. 28, 2018, and
another mobile store on Jan. 19, 2019.
Photo by Robert Stridiron
Two cops were shot, including one fatally, in Richmond Hill on Feb. 12
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