'Friendly fire' death of NYC officer leads to murder charge for suspected robber with fake gun

A man accused of attempting to rob a cellphone store with a fake gun is now facing a murder charge in the death of one of the New York Police Department detectives who responded to the call. 

Detective Brian Simonsen died from "friendly fire" after being struck in the chest by a bullet from a fellow officer.

"Make no mistake about it — friendly fire aside — it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead," Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said in a statement. 

Christopher Ransom, 27, is facing charges of murder, aggravated manslaughter, robbery, assault and menacing after police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a T-Mobile store in Queens on Tuesday. 

When officers arrived, a suspect came at them pointing what looked like a handgun, police say. 

Seven police officers fired a total of 42 rounds at the scene. Simonsen was shot in the chest from officer fire, and died. Simonsen, 42, was with the department for 19 years. His partner was wounded. 

Police officers say Ransom, who has been arrested at least 11 times since 2012, was holding a fake gun. 

In 2016, Ransom pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing after he allegedly walked up to a desk at a Brooklyn police station wearing a fake SWAT vest and police badge. Years earlier, he was sentenced to jail time for impersonating an intern to get into a judge's chambers. 

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets