BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY NYPD officer shot dead in Harlem is buried in Guyana as scores of New York's Finest make the trip to honor their fallen comrade
- After Georgetown church service, Randolph Holder laid to rest with 21-gun salute with NYPD and Guyana police and President David Granger on hand
- Pallbearers from NYPD carried Holder's casket into the church for service
- 33-year-old was shot and killed in line of duty on October 20 in East Harlem
- Holder finished high school in South American country and moved to NYC
Scores of New York City police officers were among hundreds of mourners who stood in the rain on Saturday as their slain comrade Randolph Holder Jr was buried in his native Guyana.
After a service at Georgetown's main Catholic church, Holder was laid to rest with a 21-gun salute at a city cemetery with NYPD and Guyana police and Guyana President David Granger on hand.
Holder, 33, was 'a humble man, a true hero of the NYPD, a true hero of Guyana,' said one of the officer's supervisors, Capt Reymundo Mundo.
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NYPD pallbearers carried the casket of Officer Randolph Holder into a church for a funeral service in Guyana
A well-attended funeral service for the five-year veteran was held at Georgetown's main Catholic church
An unidentified aunt of the slain officer grieved over his body during his funeral service at the large chur
A five-year NYPD veteran, Holder was killed in the line of duty on October 20 while responding to a report of shots fired and a bicycle stolen at gunpoint in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood.
Holder was killed in the line of duty on October 20
Suspect Tyrone Howard has been arrested and charged with fatally shooting the officer in the head.
Holder finished high school in the South American country and then moved to New York to live with his father, who also served in the NYPD.
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton posthumously promoted Holder to detective and issued him a new gold shield with the same number of the badge worn by his father.
'He told me that the job was getting scary but this is a risk he had to take,' said Holder's uncle, Desmond King.
'I feared for him.'
On Wednesday in New York, thousands of police officers packed rain-swept streets to honor Holder.
As Holder's coffin was wheeled inside a Queens church, the hundreds of officers who sat shoulder-to-shoulder saluted.
Outside, thousands more saluted their fallen comrade, as they lined up ten and 20 deep.
Guyana's President David Granger (left) greeted relatives of Officer Holder during his funeral in Georgetown
Guyana police gave a 21-gun salute during the funeral of Officer Holder at Le Repentir Cemetery on Saturday
New York police officers saluted the casket of Officer Holder, 33, during his funeral service inside the church
'All of New York City is in pain at this moment,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said in his eulogy.
'We know our city lost a remarkable man; a man who made it better by his presence.'
Before de Blasio delivered the eulogy, he paused in front of the coffin in the front of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York.
Afterward, he shook hands with Holder's parents and kissed the 33-year-old officer's fiancee.
Holder 'served as a peace officer in the truest sense of the word,' the mayor said.
'He loved to be in the community. He loved to connect to the people around him.'
New York officers and Georgetown residents attended the funeral procession for the veteran officer
New York Police Department officers carried Holder's coffin while other department officers saluted him
The US flag that was draped over the casket was presented to Holder's father (left) at Le Repentir Cemetery
Holder's fiancee, Maryiane Muhammad, told the grieving congregants that his death was teaching her a painful lesson in courage.
'To simply wear the uniform of an officer is an act of courage,' she said.
'You have chosen to be both target and hero. It could be argued that to the loved one of an officer, we chose the same fate.'
Howard, the accused cop-killer, appeared in a Bronx courtroom on Thursday to deal with an unrelated drug possession charge from 2013.
The 30-year-old was charged for having 33 small bags of crack cocaine on him at Rikers Island.
He was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and robbery after Holder's death.
His next court date for the murder charge is November 24.
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