Queens man convicted of murdering NYPD detective shot by fellow officers

[Nevilledog]

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philip lewis
@Phil_Lewis_
A jury convicted a Queens man of murder in the death of an NYPD detective during a robbery gone wrong

A few issues: 1) The man did not have a gun, 2) he wasn't even inside the store, and 3) the NYPD detective was shot by his fellow officers

queenseagle.com
Queens man convicted of murdering NYPD detective shot by fellow officers — Queens Daily Eagle
Following one of the longest trials in Queens Criminal Court this year, a jury convicted Jagger Freeman of murder in the death of an NYPD detective who was shot by his fellow officers during a...
2:30 PM · Jun 16, 2022

https://queenseagle.com/all/2022/6/14/queens-man-convicted-of-murdering-nypd-detective-shot-by-fellow-officers

Following one of the longest trials in Queens Criminal Court this year, a jury convicted Jagger Freeman of murder in the death of an NYPD detective who was shot by his fellow officers during a robbery gone wrong in 2019.

Freeman, a 28-year-old from Jamaica, became the second man convicted for the murder of NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen following Monday’s verdict. The jury, which deliberated for nearly six full days, found him guilty of nearly all the charges against him, including felony murder, robbery, assault and grand larceny. The jury did not find Freeman guilty of a weapons charge prosecutors brought against him.

Christopher Ransom, Freeman’s co-defendant, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and robbery charges in October 2021 and is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence. Freeman, who will return to court for sentencing on June 30, is expected to be handed a 25-year to life in prison sentence by Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder.

Prosecutors had a steep hill to climb in their effort to convict Freeman on murder charges – Freeman neither had a gun nor was he inside the T-Mobile store he and Ransom had planned to rob when Simonsen and a second NYPD official, NYPD Sergeant Matthew Gorman, were shot. Gorman and Simonsen were struck by bullets fired by their fellow officers, who fired when Ransom pulled out a fake gun that police said they believed to be real, and ran at Simonsen. Ransom was also struck during the 42-bullet barrage.

Freeman was charged and convicted under the controversial felony murder rule, which is used in over 40 states including New York. The rule states that if a death occurs during the commission of a felony, the death can be charged as murder for all participants in the alleged felony, even if they had no intention to kill or any role in the killing itself.

*snip*

[TwilightZone]

1. Felony murder rule, as the article notes.

I'm not sure if the "Prosecutors had a steep hill to climb" considering that the rule is pretty straightforward.

The rule itself is certainly subject to debate but its application here seems not particularly surprising.

[House of Roberts]

2. The title implies the convicted man was shot by the

fellow officers of the dead detective.

[TwilightZone]

3. Look at is this way:

"Queens man convicted of murdering NYPD detective (who was) shot by fellow officers"

Or

"Queens man convicted of murdering [NYPD detective shot by fellow officers]"

In that context, it makes sense, though I understand what you're saying.

[PTWB]

4. How did they have a "steep hill to climb"?

The person was convicted because he planned and participated in a robbery, a felony, in which someone was killed. That’s literally the purpose of the felony murder law.

It seems like his conviction was a foregone conclusion, not a “steep hill to climb.”

[Nevilledog]

6. This article is about Freeman, who did not have a gun.

Ransom was the co-defendant.

[Takket]

8. thank you. post deleted.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. K&R.