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Christopher Ransom, age 30, formerly of Brooklyn, has been sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty in late October to aggravated manslaughter and robbery for the February 2019 holdup of a store, which led to the death of Det. Brian Simonsen.
Additionally, Ransom also admitted to a separate cell phone robbery days before Simonsen was shot.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said that on Feb. 12, 2019, Ransom and a co-conspirator walked into the Richmond Hill T-Mobile Store on 120th Street, demanding that two employees surrender cash and merchandise while brandishing what appeared to be a black pistol.
According to court records, Ransom corralled the employees into a back room of the store before police arrived, at which point he pointed the fake pistol at arriving officers, prompting them to fire their weapons back.
Simonsen, a 19-year veteran of the NYPD was fatally shot in the torso, and NYPD Sgt. Matthew Gorman was seriously injured with a bullet wound to his left leg, but has since recovered.
Ransom also suffered multiple bullet wounds and reportedly had to undergo emergency surgery.
“He will carry physical scars and emotional trauma for the rest of his life," an attorney for Ransom said in a statement released after the hearing. "Despite this, Mr. Ransom is committed towards seeking rehabilitation and redemption.
“We hope that the NYPD also takes this opportunity to reexamine their own procedures and training so that a tragedy like this never happens again."
Katz added: “My hope is that the family of Detective Brian Simonsen may finally have some closure with the sentencing of this defendant,” she said. His lawless, selfish behavior set the terrible events of that day in motion.
“He committed one of several robberies and terrified the employees of that cell phone store before drawing the fire of police. The heartbreaking result was the loss Det. Simonsen and the injury of Sgt. Matthew Gorman.”
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