Heartbroken LI Community Mourns Fallen NYPD Hero; Services Set

CALVERTON, NY — The Riverhead community was blanketed in sorrow Wednesday as friends, neighbors and longtime school classmates remembered Det. Brian Simonsen, a heroic NYPD detective who was killed by friendly fire during an armed robbery in Queens Tuesday evening.

Police cars and firetrucks, lights flashing, lined the streets in a procession as a trail of blue tears brought the fallen hero back to the North Fork.

Simonsen, 43, a 19-year NYPD veteran was killed in the line of duty and a sergeant shot during the robbery at a T-Mobile store at 91-62 120 St. at 6:10 p.m., officials said. He was reportedly not meant to be working Tuesday; it was said that, fiercely dedicated, he wanted to continue investigating a series of robberies.

Sgt. Matthew Gorman was wounded as the cops exchanged fire with the alleged robbers, according to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Funeral services have been announced for Simonsen, a former South Jamesport resident who lived in Calverton with his wife Leanne.

The family will receive friends on Monday, Feb. 18 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Tuesday, February 19 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday morning, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. All services will be held at Saint Rosalie Roman Catholic Church, located at 31 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, New York 11946. Interment will be at the Jamesport Cemetery following the funeral mass. DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck is assisting the family.

Rocked by the unthinkable loss, the Riverhead community, where Simonsen grew up and had deep roots, reflected on a man who touched countless lives.

Riverhead Police Sgt. Jill Kubetz said she and Simonsen went to Riverhead High School together. Simonsen, a 1995 graduate of Riverhead High School, was known by the name "Smiles," she said, a testament to his winning grin and huge heart.

"Detective Brian Simonsen was a friend to all that knew him," she said. "He'll be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. This is a very sad day for the police department, for the community, for the NYPD. Our hearts and condolences go out to all affected by this tragedy."

Simonsen, Kubetz said, "valued his time with his friends, whether playing softball or hosting parties. He will be greatly missed."

Even though he worked in the NYPD's 102nd Precinct, Simonsen, Kubetz said he often attended Riverhead Police Department functions, having grown up in Riverhead with his brothers in blue.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone directed flags at all county government buildings to be flown at half-mast Tuesday in Simonsen.

“Detective Brian Simonsen was a Suffolk County resident who chose to serve and protect the people who call New York City their home," Bellone said. "My thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and the entire law enforcement community during this difficult time.”

Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith also shared her sorrow: "Detective Brian Simonsen was a lifelong resident, friend and active member of the Riverhead community. This is a heartbreaking loss for the NYPD, and our town. So many members of our community have reached out with stories of a profoundly kind man, always willing to put others’ needs before himself. The Town of Riverhead’s thoughts and prayers are with the Simonsen family during this deeply tragic time."

On the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home page, the Ozone Park Residents Block Association and others from Queens left a message of sympathy: "We are all saddened by this loss and it is being felt throughout our Ozone Park community. We thank you for your sacrifices that allowed Det. Simonsen to serve our community. We realize that no amount of words can help you through this trying time. But know that we are here for you as a community and know that we will never let the community ever forget the sacrifices Det. Simonsen made . . .We extend our prayers to all of his family from an entire community that is in mourning right now."

The message added: "We are proud of the police officers of the 102 and this loss will be felt for years and years to come. We will not forget Det. Brian Simonsen. God received an angel to use and gratefully he has always been the angel of the community."

After the tragedy, New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill spoke Tuesday night. "At this hour I will tell you that this appears to be an absolute tragic case of friendly fire."

Two separate 911 callers reported a robbery in progress. "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," O'Neill said.

Simonsen, 42, and his sergeant were in the area working on an unrelated case when they heard the call come over the radio. "They did not hesitate," O'Neill said. "They responded immediately."

The officers pulled up to the scene just as patrol units arrived from the 102nd Precinct.

"Through the windows of the store the officers did not see anyone inside," O'Neill said. "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 Det. Simonsen was shot."

An "imitation firearm" was recovered at the scene by police, he said.

His fellow officers put him in a marked police car and brought him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where trauma staff tried their best to save him but were unable to do so, O'Neill said.
Gorman, who has 8.5 years of service with the NYPD, was shot one time in the leg and is in stable condition at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, O'Neill said.

"Make no mistake about it. Friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Det. Simonsen is dead," O'Neill said.

The 27-year-old gunman, "and career criminal," he added, was shot multiple times and is in stable condition.

"Tonight highlights the brave actions the NYPD members perform every day in the name of fighting crime and keeping people safe in every neighborhood. This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome a police officer, the family of a police officer, could ever imagine," O'Neill said, offering his prayers. "I hope that all New Yorkers understand how difficult of a job that of a NYPD officer is."

Rep Lee Zeldin also spoke on the tragedy: "Simonsen is one of our own who leaves behind a loving family, both at home at at the NYPD. Our community mourns the loss of Detective Simonsen. RIP," he said.

"I know too well the uncertainty that every police officer takes into every shift," Adams said in a statement. "May there be justice in the wake of this tragedy, and may we never forget Detective Simonsen."

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon said he and the members of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office "stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and sisters in the NYPD in mourning the loss of Detective Brian Simonsen, who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the people of New York City earlier tonight."

"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the fallen officer — as well as our extended law enforcement family of the NYPD — during this difficult time, and wish a full recovery to the Sergeant," Suffolk County Police said.

Tragically, Simonson's sister Melissa was killed by after being hit by a vehicle in Riverhead in 1992, when she was only 13 — and their father, a local dentist, died soon after, according to reports.

Resident Greg Fischer, who lived not far from Simonsen and his wife, echoed the heartbreak of many: "He was a regular, nice guy. Happy. Cordial. Polite. Just normal. What happened was just tragic."

Patch lead photo courtesy DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.