A policeman pursuing an armed robber who stole a bicycle at gunpoint was shot in the head and died. The armed robber who sustained bullet wounds was later apprehended.
Dead Officer Randolph Holder
33-year old Police officer identified as Randolph Holder, has died after an armed robber he was pursuing shot him in the head during a gun battle.
The officer and his partner had confronted an armed man who stole a bicycle at gunpoint, there was an exchange of gunfire and the officer was struck while the shooter fled on foot with gunshot wounds and was later apprehended.
Holder was pronounced dead at Harlem hospital where police Commissioner, William Bratton said that's as bad as it gets. Many officers stood outside the hospital early Wednesday morning to salute their fallen comrade.
The police commissioner called the dead officer a brave and exemplary who did what every other police officer in the NYPD would have done. "Tonight, he did what every other officer in the NYPD does when the call comes, he ran toward danger," the commissioner said.
According Bratton, the suspect will be released from hospital on Wednesday and transfer to police custody.
The victim, a native of Guyana worked in the division that polices the city's public housing developments. His father and grandfather both were police officers in Guyana. According to statistics from Officer Down Memorial Page, about 101 police officers have died in the line of duty in the U.S.