The DEA Honor Roll
Official Line of Duty Deaths
Brian Simonsen
Rank: Detective, First Grade
Shield Number: 3877
Command: 102 Squad
Date of Death: 02/12/2019
Cause of Death: Combat Death, Gunfire
Det. Brian Simonsen was the DEA Delegate from the 102 Squad who was shot and killed when responding to a report of an armed robbery at a T-Mobile store in Queens. You can read about his life and death in The Gold Shield magazine Fall 2019 issue, and the Chief Leader newspaper, November 26, 2021 issue on the links below.
In October of 2021, perpetrator Christopher Ransom pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and robbery and was sentenced to 33 years in prison. He had 25 prior arrests, including one for impersonating a Police Officer.
On July 7, 2022, in Queens Supreme Court, Jagger Freeman received 30 years to life for his role in Det. First Grade Brian Simonsen’s death. Freeman was convicted of murder, robbery, assault, and other charges for his role in the deadly shooting. His sentencing includes the conviction for robbery in the second degree and grand larceny in the third degree related to Freeman’s participation in a separate cell phone store robbery on Feb. 8, 2019.
The DEA thanks Judge Holder and all those who came to Court to show their support.
In 2022, the New York Police Department rolled out a new protective vest for the Detective Bureau so that the lighter weight, less bulky vest could be worn more easily under a business suit. Named after Det. Brian Simonsen, the vests were developed by the DEA with seed money from the union, and were chiefly financed by the New York City Police Foundation.
Det. Simonsen is buried at Jamesport Cemetery, 1549 Main Road, Jamesport, NY 11947 (Riverhead) at Route 25 and South Jamesport Avenue.
On June 15, 2019, a street was renamed in the Town of Riverhead as Det. Brian Simonsen Way. On October 8, 2022, another corner at the intersection of 118th Street and Jamaica Avenue in the Richmond Hill section of Queens (near the 102 Precinct) was named in his honor. You can learn more about Det. Simonsen at the Det. Brian “Smiles” Simonsen Memorial Foundation at https://simonsenfoundation.org
From the Fall 2019 DEA magazine, The Gold Shield
Det. Brian Simonsen Chief Leader Newspaper, November 26, 2021