«Breaking News» Cops fired 42 bullets during Queens robbery that killed NYPD detective, suspect charged with murder

Police on the scene of an alleged armed robbery in Queens fired 42 shots in under a minute during a standoff with a suspect wielding a fake gun, resulting in the friendly-fire death of an NYPD detective.  

Officials revealed new details about the hail of police gunfire that erupted Tuesday evening at a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill during a press briefing on Wednesday. 

Career criminal Christopher Ransom, 27, has been charged with the murder of Detective Brian Simonsen as well as robbery, assault, aggravated manslaughter and menacing.

Sources say Ransom appeared to be attempting suicide by cop as he rushed toward seven armed officers and pretended to pull the trigger on his fake firearm. 

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Christopher Ransom, 27, (left) has been charged with murder, robbery, assault, aggravated manslaughter and menacing following a police confrontation at a T-Mobile store in Queens on Tuesday. Ransom and a police sergeant were wounded and NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen (right) was killed when cops fired 42 shots at the suspect, who was carrying a fake gun

Police sources say Ransom (above) appeared to be attempting to commit suicide by cop as he charged at seven armed officers while pretending to pull the trigger on his fake firearm

Gunfire erupted after police responded to reports of an armed robbery at the T-Mobile in Richmond Hill around 6.15pm Tuesday

Investigators say squad Sgt Matthew Gorman and two uniformed cops, the first officers to respond to reports of an armed robbery, entered the T-Mobile store around 6pm and found it appeared to be empty. Ransom then charged out of a back room pointing his fake gun at them and pretending to pull the trigger. 

The three officers backed out of the store, where Detective Simonsen and three other law enforcement officials were waiting.

Ransom followed after them with his fake gun held high, prompting police to fire a total of 42 shots, wounding Ransom, Gorman, and Simonsen, who was struck in the chest and killed. 

Investigators are still working to determine exactly who shot whom by reviewing street surveillance video and the footage from five body cameras.

Simonsen fired two of the 42 shots and Gorman fired 11. It's not yet clear who fired the shots that struck them, according to Chief Kevin Mahoney of the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division.

'It was only about a minute in all, from when everyone arrived to when shots are fired,' Mahoney said.  

'You have to understand, this happens in seconds. It goes from 0 to 60. You're investigating a possible crime and all of a sudden someone is charging at you, pointing what you believe to be a firearm, simulating firing at you. It raises everything very quickly.'

Simonsen (left) and squad Sergeant Matthew Gorman (right) were struck by friendly fire outside the T-Mobile store after Ransom charged at them holding his fake gun in the air. Gorman was shot in the hip and is reportedly in serious but stable condition

Though all of the bullets discharged came from NYPD officers, officials have placed the blame squarely on Ransom. 

'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead,' Commissioner James O'Neill said as he held back tears during a press conference Tuesday night.  

'He was pointing a gun at them,' NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said. 'The blame goes to that individual doing that.'

One NYPD source told the New York Post of Ransom's actions: 'It definitely looks like attempted suicide by cop. There was no way he was shooting his way out of there.'

Police said Ransom was shot multiple times and was in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital. 

Ransom, whose went by the street alias 'Detective', has been arrested at least 11 times since 2012, according to police records. At the time of Tuesday's shooting he was wanted in connection with a January 19 robbery at another cellphone store

Authorities say Ransom has a long rap sheet and a history of bizarre pranks ready-made for his social media pages.

The 27-year-old nicknamed 'Detective' has been arrested at least 11 times since 2012, records show, and he was wanted by police in connection with a January 19 robbery at another cellphone store. 

Ransom was charged in 2016 with impersonating a police officer after allegedly climbing over a gate and walking up to a desk at a Brooklyn police station while wearing a fake SWAT vest and police badge.

He pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Four years earlier, Ransom pleaded guilty and was sentenced to jail time for pretending to be an intern to gain access to a judge's chambers.

On social media, Ransom has styled himself as a comedian and prankster in the vein of Sasha Baron Cohen of 'Borat' fame, posting videos of stunts that sometimes veered into dangerous territory.

In one video, he's shown in his cape-and-Speedo superhero outfit stopping a subway train by jumping on the tracks and putting his hand up. In another video, he shows up to a police precinct in the outfit.

Ransom sued the city over a 2015 arrest, alleging officers approached him on a Brooklyn street corner for no reason, cornered him in a food store with guns drawn and took him to a psychiatric ward against his will.

Ransom's charges were later dismissed, and he dropped the lawsuit in 2016.

A message was left for Ransom's lawyer in the lawsuit.

Witness video appeared to show officers escorting a suspect out of the store

Simonsen, 42, grew up on Long Island, and he and his wife continued to live close by - more than an hour's drive from the 102nd precinct where he worked his whole 19-year NYPD career.

Since childhood he's been known as 'Smiles' for his bright, welcoming personality. At Riverhead High School, he played football and baseball and was friends with everyone he met, childhood friend Melissa Weir said.

'Everyone is in complete shock. Everyone is feeling this,' Weir said. 

'When you have somebody like Brian, it's really hitting everybody. There are people all over the place hurting.'

Simonsen should have been off Tuesday for a union meeting, but he opted to go to work so he could continue tracking a string of recent robberies, Detectives' Endowment Association president Michael Palladino said.

The detective and his supervisor Gorman, who were both in plainclothes, were working on another case nearby when the call came and arrived around the same time as patrol officers, police said.

Police salute as the body of Det Simonsen is moved from Jamaica Hospital by ambulance

Commissioner James O'Neill (above) said at a press conference: 'Make no mistake about it, friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead'

A witness told the New York Daily News that before police arrived, one of the robbers, dressed in black, could be seen forcing two employees to the back of a T-Mobile store at gunpoint. 

Chaos erupted as soon as police pulled up and dozens of shots rang out.  

Officers could be heard frantically calling for backup on emergency radio transmissions. 

'Shots fired! Shots fired!' one officer exclaimed in audio obtained by the NYDN. 

'Central, he's in the store. He’s going to the back… He's still in the store, central. He's still in the store.' 

Gorman, who took a bullet to the hip, could be heard saying: 'Be advised, I'm shot. The perp's in the location.' 

Police officers on the scene had desperately called for a 'blood bank', indicating that at least one of the officers was in need of a life-saving transfusion.  

Simonsen, whose 19th anniversary with the department was coming up in March, leaves behind a wife and two children. 

'We lost a very good man,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said of the hero detective.

Simonsen's death marks the NYPD's first line-of-duty fatality since 2017.  

Distraught family members are seen arriving at Jamaica Hospital, where the two officers were brought for treatment after the shooting

Dozens of police officers gathered at the hospital awaiting news about the officers' conditions

Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed the shooting on Twitter, writing: 'An on-duty NYPD officer has been shot in Queens during what appears to be an armed robbery.'

Both Simonsen and Gorman were taken by patrol car to Jamaica Hospital, officials said. 

Dozens of officers were seen hugging and crying in the hospital lobby as Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived shortly after the shooting. 

Witnesses to the shocking shootout reported hearing at least 15 to 20 gunshots exchanged between police and the suspects. 

'There was so much gunfire you could smell the smoke in the air,' neighborhood resident Jason Parodi told the NYDN.  

Arwin Singh, a 31-year-old construction contractor who lives across from the T-Mobile store, told the outlet: 'I looked out and the cops were running into [the store] to get them. 

'There were two guys who put their hands on their heads. I couldn’t tell if they were robbers or workers. Then the cops came out and put one guy in an ambulance.'

He added: 'The store has been robbed before but nothing as bad as this.' 

STATEMENT FROM POLICE COMMISSIONER JAMES O'NEILL 

'Once again, our hearts are broken in New York City and in the NYPD - because a career criminal put civilian and police lives in jeopardy.

'With me here are Mayor de Blasio, First Deputy Commissioner Ben Tucker, Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison, Chief of Queens South Dave Barrere, Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea, President of the Detectives Endowment Association Mike Palladino, NYPD Chief Department Surgeon Dr. Eli Kleiman, William Lynch, Chief Operating Officer here at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and Chief of Surgery Dr. Ken Fretwell.

'Tonight in Queens, on-duty Detective Brian Simonsen was shot and killed while doing his job. He was 42 years old and had 19 years in the NYPD, all of it serving the people who live and work in the 102nd Precinct. Detective Simonsen is married - and I just spoke with his wife and mother a short time ago.

'His sergeant, also assigned to the 102 Precinct Detective Squad, was shot one time and is in stable condition here at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

'The information I'm about to tell you is preliminary, just a few hours old, and is subject to change as the circumstances become more clear. At this hour, I will tell you this appears to be an absolutely tragic case of friendly fire.

'This evening at 6:10 p.m., two separate 911 callers reported a robbery in progress at a T-Mobile cell phone store located at 91-62 120th Street in Queens. The callers described the suspect as a male armed with a firearm. At least one of the callers said two employees of the store had been forced at gunpoint to the rear of the store. Detective Simonsen and his sergeant were in the area - working an unrelated case at the time - when they heard the call come over the radio. They did not hesitate. They responded immediately and pulled up as Patrol units arrived. Through the windows of the store, the officers did not see anyone inside. The officers then entered the store and immediately saw a man fitting the description of the suspect emerge from the back, pointing at them what appeared to be a handgun. With the suspect advancing toward them, the officers discharged their weapons and retreated out of the store. That was when Detective Simonsen was shot. His fellow officers put him in a marked police car and transported him here, where the trauma staff did their best to try to save him. We thank them for that. They were unable to do so, however. The sergeant, who has 8 ½ years with the NYPD, was shot one time in the leg. A passerby in a civilian vehicle stopped and helped him into the car and transported him here, also. He is listed in stable condition.

'Make no mistake about it - friendly fire aside - it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead.

'The suspect, a 27-year-old Brooklyn resident and career criminal was shot multiple times. He was taken by ambulance from the scene to Booth Memorial Hospital in Queens, where he is listed in stable condition. Recovered by the police at the scene was an imitation firearm.

'Again, I want to thank all of the staff of Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for the high level of care they always show our police officers. And we've been here all too many times.

'Tonight highlights the incredibly brave actions NYPD members perform each day in the name of fighting crime and keeping people safe in every neighborhood. 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 the family and colleagues of Detective Simonsen tonight. And I hope that all New Yorkers understand how difficult a job that of an NYPD officer is.' 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/14/cops-fired-42-bullets-during-queens-robbery-that-killed-nypd-detective-suspect-charged-with-murder/
Main photo article Police on the scene of an alleged armed robbery in Queens fired 42 shots in under a minute during a standoff with a suspect wielding a fake gun, resulting in the friendly-fire death of an NYPD detective.  
Officials revealed new details about the hail of police gunfire that erupted Tuesday e...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca





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