Page 7 - atoday

U.S. NEWS A7
Thursday 22 October 2015

Career criminal arrested in slaying of NYC police officer

arrested 28 times since he and a 78-year-old grazed down, O’Neill said. Police
was 13 for offenses includ- by a bullet, according to said officers had attempt-
ing drug possession and police. The disposition of ed to locate Howard 10
robbery, authorities said. that case wasn’t immedi- times since the shooting.
He’s been sentenced to ately clear. Charges against Howard
state prison twice since Howard had also been in Holder’s shooting were
2007 on drug possession wanted in connection with pending. It was unclear if
and sale convictions, state the Sept. 1 shooting of a he had a lawyer.
records show. Howard was gang member, said James Holder was the second
arrested in connection with O’Neill, the NYPD’s chief of NYPD officer killed this year
a June 2009 shooting that department. He skipped and the fourth slain in the
left an 11-year-old with a court appearances and past 11 months, Bratton
gunshot wound to the leg police couldn’t track him said.q

Flowers were left at a makeshift memorial to honor New York
City Police Department Officer Randolph Holder outside the
police station in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Holder,
a five-year veteran of the NYPD, was shot dead Tuesday night
during an exchange of gunfire in East Harlem.

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

MICHAEL BALSAMO selling crack cocaine at an
Associated Press East Harlem public housing
NEW YORK (AP) — career complex. But Bratton said
criminal accused of killing Howard was released into
a police officer had been a drug diversion program,
released from a U.S. jail which is meant to keep
into a drug diversion pro- drug offenders from over-
gram and was wanted in crowding the city’s jails.
a shooting last month, said “If ever there was a can-
Police Commissioner Wil- didate not to be diverted,
liam Bratton, noting that it would be this guy,” Brat-
the suspect had shown an ton said. “There are peo-
increasing level of violence ple in our society who are
and shouldn’t have been criminals, who are violent
on the streets. criminals ... who should be
Tyrone Howard is expected separated from the rest of
to be charged with fatally society.” But court officials
shooting New York Police said Howard qualified for
Department Officer Ran- the program because he
dolph Holder during a gun- was charged with selling
fight Tuesday night on a and possessing drugs and
pedestrian bridge leading was addicted.
to the East River after steal- “Actually, he’s the perfect
ing a bike. candidate in many ways,”
He was arrested in October state court system spokes-
2014 along with 18 other man David Bookstaver told
people and charged with The Associated Press.
Howard pleaded guilty to
the drug charge this May
and was ordered to attend
monthly status meetings,
but he stopped attending
those Aug. 21. An arrest
warrant was issued Sept.
17.
The 30-year-old had been