You are reading

Brooklyn Robber Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Fatal Shooting of Cop

Christopher Ransom (L) and Detective Brian Simonsen (R) (Photos: @TerenceMonahan and NYPD)

Christopher Ransom (L) has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in relation to the shooting dead of Detective Brian Simonsen (R) (Photos: @TerenceMonahan and NYPD)

Oct 20, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A Brooklyn man whose attempted robbery of a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill resulted in a cop being shot dead pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Christopher Ransom, 30, was holding up the store with another suspect in 2019 when police were called to the scene and fired off a barrage of bullets at Ransom – after he pointed an imitation gun at them.

Detective Brian Simonsen, 42, was fatally shot once in the torso by the police fire while Sergeant Matthew Gorman was seriously injured with a bullet wound to his left leg.

“The defendant set in motion a terrible chain of events that began with a robbery and ended in a spray of bullets when Ransom pointed what appeared to be a deadly firearm toward police officers,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

“The defendant was repeatedly told to lower his weapon but did not do so.”

Ransom also pleaded guilty to robbery for holding up the phone store. He is expected to be sentenced to 33 years in prison when he returns to court on Nov. 17, according to the Queens DA.

The deadly shooting took place on Feb. 12, 2019, shortly after Ransom and his accomplice entered the 91-62 120th St. store at around 6 p.m.

Ransom brandished a black pistol and ordered two workers inside the store to hand over cash and merchandise from a back room, according to the Queens DA.

When police arrived Ransom pointed the gun – which appeared real – at the cops, who discharged their weapons in response, the Queens DA said.

Detective Simonsen, a 19-year veteran of the force, was fatally struck by one of the bullets fired by police.

Ransom was shot eight times but survived, according to reports.

The Detectives Endowment Association released a statement shortly after Ransom’s plea.

“If not for Christopher Ransom committing a robbery that day in Queens, Brian would be with us today.”

“For that, Ransom should spend every waking moment of the next 33 years in jail thinking about the grief he has caused so many.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Hollis man charged with raping 14-year-old told teen, ‘I can help you get work’

New details have emerged in the case of the Hollis man accused luring a 14-year-old boy into his car in St. Albans and then allegedly raping him on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1.

Virgilio Taveras, 63, of Hillside Avenue, was arrested by detectives from the Queens Special Victims Squad two days later and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Taveras was arraigned on the Fourth of July in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with rape in the second degree, luring a child as an E felony, endangering the welfare of a child and other related crimes.

Deadly Belt Parkway crash claims lives of Springfield Gardens man and Manhattan mother: NYPD

A Springfield Gardens man and a passenger in his car died after they were involved in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the Belt Parkway near Kennedy Airport on the morning of Saturday, July 5.

Noah Thompson, 24, of 179th Street, was behind the wheel of a white BMW 428i traveling eastbound on the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach at 6:05 a.m. when he failed to navigate the roadway approaching the Nassau Expressway exit.