On the recordOctober 22, 2015
On Tuesday night, right after dark, Officer Randolph Holder of the NYPD heard on his radio, ``Shots fired.'' He immediately rushed toward the gunfire in East Harlem. He arrived, but was gunned down by an outlaw. Holder was assassinated with a shot to the head. Just 33 years old, Randolph Holder was an immigrant from Guyana. According to his aunt, his job was first in his life. He cherished the opportunity to become a policeman here in America. He was a third-generation police officer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who served as peace officers in Guyana. Randolph was proud to be the first in his family to serve in that capacity in America. His killer was a hardened, violent criminal who shouldn't have been on our streets, according to the mayor. Mr. Speaker, the war on police officers has resulted in 31 officers being killed in the line of duty just this year. The badge that represents safety for most is a target for some. Those in blue do a job that many of us would never do. So we owe them all, like Officer Holder, our extreme appreciation for taking care of the rest of us. And that is just the way it is. ____________________
