DEFENDANT FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER IN DEATH OF NYPD DETECTIVE BRIAN SIMONSEN AND WOUNDING OF SECOND POLICE OFFICER DURING BOTCHED ROBBERY

Usanewsonline.com desk: Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jagger Freeman, 28, has been  convicted at trial of murder, robbery, assault and other crimes for his role in the February 2019 cell phone  shop robbery that resulted in the death of New York City Police Detective Brian Simonsen in February 2019.  A second police officer was also wounded when uniformed police responded to the scene and multiple  rounds were fired. 

District Attorney Katz said, “The jury has spoken. The defendant’s actions set in motion a terrible  chain of events that began with an armed robbery in progress and resulted in the tragic loss of Detective  Brian Simonsen as well as Sergeant Matthew Gorman being shot in the leg. Following an eight-week-long  trial, a jury found the defendant guilty of murder. We express our condolences to Detective Simonsen’s  family and hope today’s verdict brings them a measure of closure.”  

Freeman, of Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was found guilty of murder in the second  degree, robbery in the first and second degree, assault in the second degree and grand larceny in the third  and fourth degree. A jury rendered its verdict after five days of deliberations. Queens Supreme Court Justice  Kenneth C. Holder, who presided at trial set sentencing for June 30, 2022. At that time, Freeman faces up  to 25 years-to-life in prison.  

Freeman’s co-defendant, Christopher Ransom, 30, formerly of St. John’s Place in Brooklyn, pleaded  guilty in October 2021, to aggravated manslaughter in the second degree and robbery in the first degree  before Justice Holder. Ransom is currently serving 33 years in prison, to be followed by five years’ post  release supervision.  

According to Court records, on February 12, 2019, Ransom and Freeman arrived at the T-Mobile  store on 120th Street in Richmond Hill, Queens, shortly after 6 p.m. Defendant Ransom entered the cell  phone business brandishing a black pistol. Ransom ordered two employees inside the establishment to  surrender both cash and merchandise from the back room of the store. Ransom was still inside the business  when police officers responded to the scene. Ransom pointed his gun – which appeared real – at the police  officers, who discharged their weapons in response.  

Today’s conviction included robbery in the second and grand larceny in the third degree related to  Freeman’s participation in a separate cell phone store robbery on February 8, 2019.  

 Detective Brian Simonsen, a 19-year-veteran of the NYPD was fatally shot once in the torso. He  was 42 years old. Sergeant Matthew Gorman was seriously injured with a bullet wound to his left leg.  

Assistant District Attorney Shawn Clark, Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal  Major Crimes Bureau, prosecuted the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Christina  Mavrikis, under the supervision Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.  Press Release