NYPD names Tyrone Howard as suspect in shooting death of Officer Randolph Holder in East Harlem

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
NYPD names suspect in shooting death of officer
The New York City Police Department has named the suspect in the fatal shooting of an NYPD officer.

EAST HARLEM, N.Y. -- The New York City Police Department has named the suspect in the fatal shooting of an NYPD officer.

VIDEO: Officer killed was member of NYPD for 5 years

NYPD Deputy Chief of Manhattan William Aubrey said Tyrone Howard is accused of shooting and killing NYPD Officer Randolph Holder Tuesday night in East Harlem.

Court records show Howard, 30, who goes by the street name "Peanut," has a long criminal history, with 18 prior arrests and three outstanding warrants. He was wanted for an earlier shooting in East Harlem.

Howard has not yet been charged. The NYPD said there's video evidence, physical evidence and witnesses that will tie him to the shooting. The department said a lineup will be conducted Wednesday to tie him to the robbery of a bicyclist minutes before the shooting.

VIDEO: Suspect in custody after NYPD officer shot, killed

Aubrey walked through the details of what happened in the 13 minutes leading up to the officer's shooting. Click on the video player above to watch.

Mayor Bill deBlasio said changes should be made to the system to keep people like Howard behind bars.

"The perpetrator is a hardened, violent criminal and should not have been on the streets," deBlasio said.

PHOTOS: NYPD officer shot, killed in East Harlem

He's proposing changes to the criminal justice system to lock up the hardened criminals in the city who are capable of crimes like this. He said the numbers of criminals in this category are in the thousands, compared with the millions of people who live in the city.

DeBlasio also described how the city is hurting from the death of one of its officers.

"The feeling is feeling a deep sense of loss and mourning. The death of Officer Holder is hurting us all. He represented the best of our society," deBlasio said.

Click here for full coverage on the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Randolph Holder.