New York officer killed by friendly fire

NEW YORK — Cops unloaded a fusillade of roughly 50 shots during a Queens cellphone store holdup where a decorated NYPD detective was killed by friendly fire, police sources said Wednesday.

At least eight police officers, including slain Detective Brian Simonsen, were at the T-Mobile phone store where suspect Christopher Ransom was inside — armed with what turned out to be a fake handgun, sources said.

The smell of gunpowder filled the February night from the volume of shots fired, according to witnesses at the scene. The officers were responding to a 911 call of a gunman holding store workers hostage.

Dozens of evidence markers remained Wednesday in the crime scene area surrounding the Richmond Hill store, with a line of police officers scouring the area for additional evidence.

The detective’s unmarked black Ford, pocked with gunshots, remained parked outside the store. A constellation of bullet holes in the glass bore witness to the gunfire.

Gov. Cuomo directed all state government buildings to fly their flags at half-staff from Thursday through the detective’s burial.

Simonsen spent his entire 19-year NYPD career working in the 102nd Precinct in Queens, where he was viewed as a cut above the average cop by local residents.

“This is a man who was doing his job, and he was happy with his job, and his job was to make sure that the street was safe,” said lifelong neighborhood resident Polo Savinon, 26.

“You lose somebody like that, you lost more than just an officer,” he continued. “It really is a shame.”

During his long career, Simonsen logged 569 arrests — including 446 felony busts. He also earned five Excellent Police Duty Medals and one Meritorious Police Duty Medal.