Officer Randolph Holder posthumously promoted to detective, gets father's shield number
NEW YORK (WABC) -- During his funeral service on Wednesday, NYPD Officer Randolph Holder was promoted posthumously to detective first grade by Police Commissioner William Bratton.
Officer Holder was issued shield number 13340 when he became a police officer. He became a police officer in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in Guyana. His father's badge number was 9657.
Police Commissioner Bratton issued the detective's shield with his father's police shield number, 9657.
He presented it to Randolph Holder Sr. during the service to a standing ovation for the fallen officer.
After presenting the shield, the police commissioner said this was the fourth posthumous promotion he's had to do in the past 11 months, and he had hoped he wouldn't have to do another but he said, "As cops know, that's an idle hope. Why? Because of what we do."
The 9,000 series of detectives shields began a little over a year ago, and shields were given out to officers Wenjian Liu, Rafael Ramos, Brian Moore, and now Randolph Holder.
Bratton called Officer Holder's partner, Officer Omar Wallace, a true hero. He said that Officer Wallace helped his partner, radioed for help, shot and wounded the suspect and apprehended him.
"I'd like to think that Randy knew Omar's decision and was comforted by it," Bratton said.
