Photo Courtesy of NYPD
Christopher Ransom
By Forum Staff
A Brooklyn man has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, among other crimes, in the fatal shooting of a 102nd Precinct detective and the wounding of a sergeant during a robbery in Richmond Hill last Tuesday, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Christopher Ransom, 27, who was shot several times in the incident, was arraigned bedside via video link from New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in Flushing on a criminal complaint charging him with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts each of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery, second degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree robbery and menacing a police officer or peace officer. Ransom was ordered held without bail.
According to the charges, Ransom entered the T-Mobile store at Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street between 6 and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, wearing a dark hoodie covering his head, a mask covering his face, and brandishing what appeared to be a pistol. Ransom then allegedly ordered the two employees of the store to remove iPhones and money from the cash registers and back room safes. Shortly thereafter, Ransom allegedly exited the backroom only to re-enter the main store area moments later – still holding what appeared to be a gun – as members of the NYPD simultaneously entered the location.
The district attorney added that, according to the complaint, after observing the police retreat from the store to take up position outside, Ransom exited with his weapon – which was later determined to be an imitation firearm – pointed at the police officers who began discharging their weapons. Detective Brian Simonsen was fatally shot once in the torso and Sgt. Matthew Gorman was seriously wounded as a result of being shot in his left leg. It was later determined that Simonsen and Gorman were hit by friendly fire.
In remarks issued on Friday, Brown vowed that Ransom will be “vigorously” tried.
“This tragic incident once again reminds us of the dangers that our police officers face each day as they risk their lives to keep our streets safe,” he added. “The defendant is accused of robbing a Richmond Hill phone store and then upon exiting pointing what appeared to be a firearm at responding police officers, which, regrettably, led to the death of one police officer and the wounding of another.”
If convicted, Ransom faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
