Man convicted of officer’s murder in holdup gets 30 years

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who was convicted of murder in connection with a 2019 robbery in New York City that led to a police officer’s shooting and death was sentenced Thursday to 30 years to life in prison.

Jagger Freeman, 28, planned the Feb. 12, 2019, holdup that resulted in detective Brian Simonsen’s death, Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz said. A second officer was also wounded.

A jury last month found Freeman guilty of charges including second-degree murder in the death of Simonsen, who was caught in a crossfire of other officers’ bullets.

Defense attorney Ronald Nir said Freeman would appeal the conviction.

Katz said in a news release that Freeman “orchestrated a string of robberies, the last of which involved an imitation weapon and led to the tragic loss of Detective Brian Simonsen and the wounding of Sergeant Matthew Gorman.”

Authorities said Freeman and an accomplice, Christopher Ransom, went to a cellphone store in the Richmond Hill section of Queens and demanded cash and merchandise, with Ransom brandishing what appeared to be a real gun.

When police responded, Ransom pointed the fake gun at them, leading officers to fire their own weapons, police said. Simonsen, 42, was killed, and Gorman was shot in the leg.

Ransom pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and robbery last year and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.