Man Sentenced To Life Without Parole In Fatal Shooting Of NYPD Officer Randolph Holder

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A 32-year-old man who shot and killed a NYPD officer during a foot chase in October 2015 was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday.

Tyrone Howard was sentenced Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court for killing 33-year-old Officer Randolph Holder. Howard was convicted last month on charges that included murder, robbery and weapons possession.

Judge Michael Obus called Howard a one-man crime wave, noting the prosecutor's list of the defendant's run-ins with the law, that started when he was 13 years old and ended with the fatal 2015 shooting, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.

Speaking alongside Holder's father at a news conference, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch thanked the judge for imposing the maximum sentence.

"We thank him for giving this jackal life without parole so he can never hurt another person on our streets again," Lynch said. "We thank our district attorney and our assistant district attorneys who stood here and told Randolph's story so everyone could understand, the jury could understand, the judge could see that this jackal is pure evil and should never walk the streets."

A sea of blue flooded the halls of the courthouse and courtroom in Lower Manhattan in an emotional show of support for Holder's family.

Just before sentencing, the officer's father, Randolph Holder, Sr., addressed the court -- and had the opportunity to speak directly to his son's killer. He called his son's killer a miscreant and a beast, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.

CBS2's Scott Rapoport asked Holder Sr. about the remarks and how he felt making them, and what his feelings were after the sentencing.

"I wouldn't feel good. I don't want to see him," Holder Sr. said. "He should be sent away and never see the light again."

Holder and his partner approached Howard as he was on a stolen bicycle on an East Harlem street in October 2015.

Howard fled on foot, then pulled out a handgun and shot Holder in the head on a footbridge over the FDR Drive.

Howard had been involved in a gunfight with rival drug dealers just before he was confronted by the two officers.

At his emotional funeral, Officer Holder was praised as a guardian at the gates of New York City, and afterward a guardian angel at the gates of heaven.

Prosecutors said Holder was struck down by a man who lived "a life of crime" and was convicted o fsix separate felonies.

Holder was posthumously promoted to detective at his funeral by then-police Commissioner Bill Bratton. He was also issued a new gold shield with the same number of the badge worn by his father, who is a retired police officer.

Members of the NYPD, who gathered at the courthouse ahead of the sentencing, applauded as Holder's family left the news conference.

"This family who's lived through hell since the day they got rushed to the hospital to watch their son die," Lynch said.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said he hopes the sentence handed down Monday brings a sense of closure to Detective Holder's loved ones and all the members of the NYPD.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

In:
• Scott Rapoport
• New York City Police Department
• Rich Lamb