On the evening of October 20, 2015, a dedicated police officer, 33-year-old Randolph A. Holder, a male native of Guyana, was fatally shot in the East Harlem section of Manhattan. A five-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, Holder came from a family with a legacy in law enforcement, as his father and grandfather had also served as police officers in their home country. He had immigrated to the United States with a dream of making a difference by joining the NYPD.
That fateful night, Officer Holder and his partner were in plainclothes on anti-crime duty when they responded to a report of shots fired. Witnesses informed them that suspects had fled, and one had stolen a bicycle at gunpoint. The officers located a man on a bicycle on a pedestrian overpass above the FDR Drive. As they confronted him, the man, identified as Tyrone Howard, dismounted the bike and opened fire. A single bullet struck Holder in the head. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His partner was not physically harmed in the exchange.
The suspect, Tyrone Howard, who was 32 years old at the time, was apprehended a short distance away with a gunshot wound to his leg, sustained when Holder's partner returned fire. Howard was a career criminal with a long and violent history, including numerous prior arrests. Following his arrest for the murder of Officer Holder, he was indicted by a grand jury.
In March 2017, a jury found Tyrone Howard guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. The trial was an emotional ordeal for Holder's family and the NYPD community, with many officers filling the courtroom to show their support. The following month, Howard was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, the judge referred to Howard as a 'one-man crime wave.' Officer Holder was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective First Grade, and his shield number was retired in his honor, the same number his father had worn.
