NYPD officer fatally shot in head in East Harlem, suspect in custody

NEW YORK CITY -- An NYPD officer was fatally shot in the head in East Harlem Tuesday night.

33-year-old Officer Randolph Holder was rushed to Harlem Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m.

This all started when Officer Holder was responding to a report of a shooting near 102nd Street. He approached a group standing near an FDR Drive footbridge.

PHOTOS: NYPD officer killed in the line of duty

There was an extended chase of one of the members of the group, who was on a bicycle. In an exchange of gunfire near East 120 Street, the officer was shot in the head.

During an ensuing search another injured person, believed to be suspect, was found shot at East 125th Street. Three other males were taken into custody around 111th Street and are being questioned.

The suspect was shot in the leg and taken to New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. A weapon was recovered, and the bicycle he was riding was also recovered.

Officer Holder was assigned to PSA 5, which patrols housing. He was a five year veteran.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton called the officer an "extraordinary individual" and said in a news conference that his heart broke for his father, also a former police officer who served in Guyana. The victim's grandfather was also a police officer in Guyana.

"Our hearts are heavy and we offer our thoughts and prayers to his family who are experiencing unimaginable pain as we saw when we met with them earlier this evening," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

"Say a prayer that this family will get through this emptiness that they will always have," said Pat Lynch, PBA President.

Other officials tweeted their condolences:

Officer Holder is the fourth NYPD officer killed in the city in 11 months. Bratton added that's "as bad as it gets".

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