Rev. Al Sharpton changes mind, says he will not be at Randolph Holder funeral

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Rev. Al Sharpton will not attend the funeral of the New York City police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.

This photo was posted online of Sharpton meeting with Officer Randolph Holder's family on Saturday:

Sharpton's spokeswoman said Holder's father asked Sharpton to speak at Wednesday's funeral service and he agreed. On Tuesday, however, he submitted a letter to Holder's father saying that, "It is clear though after reading several articles that some union leaders and some others want to turn your and your pastor's noble efforts into some kind of confrontation or sideshow and not keep focused on the brutal, senseless murder of your son."

He then explained that he would not attend. "I refuse, despite my strong feelings on police issues, to be part of anything that would marginalize and take away from the focus of this city and nation mourning your son tomorrow. So I therefore, respectfully, want to inform you and your pastor that I have withdrawn my acceptance of your invitation to attend or have words at the funeral services of your son tomorrow," the letter said.

The service is set for 3 p.m. at Greater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica, Queens.

RELATED: Family members pray, celebrate life of Officer Randolph Holder

Officer Holder, 33, was shot in the head last Tuesday in East Harlem. He died a short time later at the hospital.

Tyrone Howard has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting.

"I withdrew because I felt the attention must be on Officer Holder and the fact that the city has lost a police officer," said Sharpton.

He blames police unions, who made it clear they didn't want Sharpton in attendance.

Some even feared it would turn into what happened to Mayor de Blasio last year, when officers turned their backs on him.

"There are those who want to make this about them and sideshows and I'm not going to engage in that," said Sharpton.

At Tuesday's wake, several police union officials declined to say much when they heard Sharpton had backed out. But the head of the detectives union was happy to weigh in on Sharpton.

"It's probably uncomfortable for him walking into a church full of cops as it would be uncomfortable for the devil to walk into heaven," said Michael Paladino of the Detective Endowments Association.

"You're comparing Sharpton to a devil?", we asked. "Well he's been a police basher all his life," he said.

Sharpton noted he's spoken to police graduating classes in the past, and in the letter explaining his non-attendance, Sharpton writes: "I have never been, and never has national Action Network been, anti-police."

Sharpton says he had hoped for a new spirit at the funeral, but now he says that won't happen.

"I was going at the invitation of the father and the pastor and I would think maybe people ought to respect that they wanted a spirit of unity," he said.