Slain hero cuffed his doc’s robber

A doctor on duty at Jamaica Hospital last week when Detective Brian Simonsen was declared dead of a friendlyfire gunshot wound knows first-hand the fallen officer’s professionalism.

Aizaaz Khan, a pulmonary specialist, was a victim in a robbery case Simonsen and his supervisor, Sgt. Matthew Gorman, had successfully investigated.

“He was just a total professional. He was a great policeman,” the 32year-old Khan said.

The crime that led to Khan’s encounter with Simonsen (photo) and Gorman occurred about 12:30 a.m. Feb. 4. He was headed home from a friend’s house in Kew Gardens, listening to music as he walked.

Suddenly, four or five men set upon Khan. One or more of them yanked his shoulder and punched him in the face. Khan fell to the ground.

“”Give me whatever is in your pocket,” said a suspect, according to a criminal complaint. The men took Khan’s wallet and ran off.

Someone called the police. But before cops arrived, the suspects returned to the scene, wanting more.

They kicked Khan in the face and body. One punk put a gun to Khan’s chest.

They demanded that he hand over his phone and unlock it — and threatened to cut off his thumb to use the print to unlock it if he refused to cooperate.

Khan, his face bloodied, his nose and left-eye orbital bone broken, unlocked the phone for the suspects.

The men then sped off in a station wagon, the complaint said. Cops managed to get the car’s license plate — their first clue in the case.

Detective Simonsen ended up speaking to Khan about the theft.

“He was very reassuring, very kind. It shone through his words how much he cared about the community and about making sure that whoever these guys were that they were brought to justice,” Khan said.

“He just made me feel at ease right away,” Khan added. “Both he and Sgt. Goman were so receptive, and they were evidently working very hard on my case.”

Cops made the first arrest in the case last Tuesday. Gurman Bhumak, 18, was charged with robbery, possession of stolen property, and other counts.

Simonsen processed Bhumak’s papers that day in the 102nd Precinct squad room.

Later that day, he and Sgt. Gorman were called to a robbery underway in a T-mobile cell phone shop on Atllantic Ave. in Richmond Hill.

As they confronted a suspect with a fake gun, Simonsen and Gorman were hit with friendly fire from fellow cops. Khan was on duty elsewhere in the hospital when Simonsen and Gorman arrived at the Jamaica emergency room.

Khan said he was “devastated” by the shooting and Simonsen’s death.

The day after the shooting Khan said he visited Gorman.

“He recognized me immediately,” the doctor said — and noted that Gorman downplayed his own injuries.

Even in their grief, Simonsen’s colleagues kept up the pressure in Khan’s case. On Friday — three days after the cell phone store robbery — they arrested two more suspects in Khan’s case. Antonio Ramesan and Satesh Khanilall, both 18, face robbery and other charges.

Khan said his thoughts are with the fallen officer’s family.

“I can’t imagine what his wife must be going through, and I just hope God gives her, the rest of his family, the city, the precinct, the strength and patience to deal with this really, really great loss,” he said. “I just hope his sacrifice is remembered.”