Thousands attend funeral of slain NYPD officer

Thousands of people turned out for the funeral Wednesday of an NYPD officer who was gunned down in the line of duty last week. About 30,000 officers stood vigil in the pouring rain outside Greater

News 12 Staff

Oct 29, 2015, 2:03 AM

Updated 3,333 days ago

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Thousands of people turned out for the funeral Wednesday of an NYPD officer who was gunned down in the line of duty last week.
About 30,000 officers stood vigil in the pouring rain outside Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral when the funeral for Officer Randolph Holder began.
Holder's commanding officer described him as thoughtful, humble and quick to smile. But he also said the fallen officer took his job very seriously. 
Holder was a third-generation police officer, according to family friends. His father and grandfather both served in their native Guyana.
He joined the force in 2010, and family members say he dreamed of becoming a detective. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton posthumously promoted him to that rank during a speech following Mayor Bill de Blasio's eulogy.
A fleeing suspect allegedly shot and killed Holder in the line of duty last week in East Harlem.
A grand jury indicted Holder's accused killer, Tyrone Howard, on charges of murder and robbery Tuesday. Investigators have described Howard as a career criminal.
Holder is the fourth NYPD officer fatally shot on the job in the past 11 months. The others are Brian Moore, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.
Holder will be buried in his native Guyana.