NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen of LI caused his own death, one of his convicted killers argues in court filings

One of the two men convicted in the 2019 killing of NYPD Det. Brian Simonsen of Calverton has asked a Suffolk County court to throw out a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the slain officer’s widow, arguing that the decorated officer caused his own death through "carelessness" and "negligence."

Leanne Simonsen, whose husband was killed by friendly fire during a botched Queens robbery more than seven years ago, filed the lawsuit in 2025 under the "Son of Sam" law, which prohibits criminals from profiting from their crimes.

The lawsuit came after Leanne Simonsen learned that the two men convicted in her husband's death — Jagger Freeman, of Queens, and Christopher Ransom, of Brooklyn — had been awarded $243,900 and $111,240, respectively, by New York City in 2023 as part of a class-action lawsuit focused on conditions at a pair of Manhattan detention centers where they'd previously been held.

'It will fail'

In April, Ransom, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to second-degree aggravated manslaughter and first-degree robbery, reached a settlement with Leanne Simonsen, by which the widow was awarded $53,233 from the inmate's class-action payment.

An equal amount was received by Terrel Caesar, an employee of the cellphone store robbed by the two men and held at gunpoint, records show, while Ransom was allowed to keep $5,000.

But Freeman, Ransom's convicted co-conspirator, is fighting to keep his portion of the class-action settlement, court filings indicate.

Simonsen's death, Freeman wrote in a July 7 court filing he authored himself from Green Haven Correctional Facility in upstate Stormville, was caused by "own carelessness, negligence and want of due care."

Freeman adds that Simonsen "voluntarily assumed" the hazards of his job with the NYPD, which "are of an open, obvious and apparent nature and inherent and known."

In an interview with Newsday Wednesday, Leanne Simonsen said she was "disgusted" that Freeman expects to be "rewarded" for his crimes.

"To call my husband negligent or to suggest it was his fault is appalling and very disrespectful," she said. "Police officers know what they signed up for. However, they also expect people to obey the law. So I am just disgusted by this man and I really hope that he never gets out of prison."

James Moschella, counsel to the NYPD Detectives Endowment Association, who filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Leanne Simonsen, said Freeman's strategy of blaming the slain officer for his own death will not be successful.

"It will fail, just as it did in the criminal proceeding, during which he was justly convicted and incarcerated for many years," Moschella said. "The fact is, his criminal conviction means that as a matter of law he is civilly liable to Detective Simonsen’s family for his wrongful death, and we are asking the court to order summary judgment on our behalf. A jury has already correctly found the defendant responsible, and through this lawsuit, we will ensure that he does not profit while he is in prison."

State Attorney General Letitia James, citing Simonsen's then-planned litigation, successfully petitioned the State Supreme Court in Albany last year to freeze the funds received by Freeman and Ransom, preventing the men from having any access to the money, records show.

While wrongful-death lawsuits must be brought within three years under New York State law, the "Son of Sam" action "resets the clock" for the widow, Moschella said.

Even if Simonsen is successful in her wrongful-death lawsuit against Freeman, he is still eligible to keep up to 10% of the money from the class action as compensatory damages, records show.

Class action suit

Freeman and Ransom were among more than 4,000 pretrial detainees who sued the city as part of a class-action lawsuit, arguing they were wrongfully isolated and held in tiny cells at Rikers Island and the now-closed Manhattan Detention Complex for up to 23 hours per day between March 2018 and June 2022.

The city agreed to pay more than $53 million to the detainees in April 2023. The settlement amounts awarded to each class member depended on how long they were kept in the isolated conditions.

Brian Simonsen, 42, was killed on Feb. 12, 2019, when he responded to an attempted armed robbery at a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill, Queens.

As police responded, officers fired 42 shots in 11 seconds. Simonsen, a 19-year-veteran of the NYPD, was fatally shot once in the chest during the crossfire.

His supervisor, NYPD Sgt. Matthew Gorman, of Seaford, was shot in the left leg and recovered.

Ransom, who entered the store holding a toy gun resembling a black pistol and pointed it at officers, was sentenced to 33 years in prison and is incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in upstate Wallkill.

Freeman was convicted of second-degree murder and robbery while serving as the lookout in the robbery. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.