Honoring Fallen NYPD Hero: Streets Lined With Blue, Black Ribbons

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — The streets of Hampton Bays will be lined with blue and black ribbons as mourners pay their final respects to a fallen hero.

A GoFundMe page, "Help HB Honor NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen" was created by Julie Lofstad, who is also a Southampton Town councilwoman.

"We have all heard of and mourn the tragic death of NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen," the page said. "The hamlet of Hampton Bays will have the solemn honor of hosting those who will come to pay their respects to Det. Simonsen and his family. Residents of Hampton Bays are planning to tie ribbons along Main Street as our salute to his memory. Please help us defray the cost of this endeavor. Any funds collected over and above what is needed to purchase ribbon will be donated to the family of Det. Simonsen."

Funeral services in Hampton Bays have been announced for Simonsen, a former South Jamesport resident and Riverhead High School graduate 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.

On Wednesday, police cars and firetrucks lined the roadways and highways on Long Island Wednesday night as a trail of blue tears led a fallen hero home.

Det. Simonsen, of Calverton, was brought home in a cortege to the North Fork's DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. As lights flashed and a helicopter flew overhead, police lined Rt. 25, paying their respects to Simonsen, 43, a 19-year NYPD veteran who was killed by friendly fire in the line of duty Tuesday.

Simonsen and a sergeant were shot during the robbery at a T-Mobile store at 91-62 120 St. in Queens 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.

A heartbroken community was cloaked in mourning Wednesday as friends, loved ones and officials remembered "Smiles," a man who dedicated his life to helping others.

Patch photo courtesy GoFundMe.