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6 The Courier sun • november 5, 2015 for breaking news visit www.qns.com THOUSANDS ATTEND JAMAICA FUNERAL FOR SLAIN POLICE OFFICER BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@queenscourier.com/@robbpoz Through the rain drops, the streets around Jamaica’s Greater Allen AME Cathedral were lined with officers on the afternoon of Oct. 28 who gathered to mourn the loss of P.O. Randolph Holder. The former Far Rockaway resident, who resided in Mill Basin at the time of his death, was Photo via Twitter/@NYPDNews shot in the head while Scores of officers outside the pursuing a suspect on Greater Allen AME Cathedral duty in Harlem on Oct. in Jamaica on the afternoon 21. Holder was the fourth of Oct. 28 mourned the loss NYPD officer murdered of P.O. Randolph Holder, who in the line of duty in the was killed in the line of duty. last 11 months. The slain officer’s sacrifice was not lost on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton in their eulogies on Oct. 28. They hailed him as a model police officer, dedicated to the people he served during his five years on the force and embodying the NYPD’s core values. “This was a man who lived life so fully and gave so much to so many,” de Blasio said. “It was not about himself. Officer Randolph Holder was dedicated to others and his family and to all the people of his city and was dedicated to making a difference in their lives.” Bratton posthumously promoted Holder — who wore badge number 13340 at the time of his death — to detective first grade and assigned him shield number 9657, the same number that Holder’s father and grandfather wore while serving as police officers in his native Guyana. “In Holder’s five years at Public Service Area 5, he built a mental database” of the area he patrolled, the commissioner said, “the good folks, the bad guys, the kids teetering on the edge between them. He died as a warrior fighting against the bad.” “There were no complaints against him, no disciplinary charges,” Bratton added. “He had courage, he had compassion, and this job was certainly his calling.” The commissioner and mayor also praised Holder’s partner, P.O. Omar Wallace, who assisted Holder and radioed in the description of the shooter that eventually led to the suspect’s arrest. The alleged shooter — Tyrone Howard — remains locked up on first-degree murder charges, and the murder weapon was found on Oct. 25 by NYPD scuba divers in the East River close to the shooting location. De Blasio said that Holder’s death was not in vain, and he sounded the call for changes made to prevent further violence against police officers and the city as a whole. “We have changes to make so we don’t lose any more good men and women like Officer Holder. In our nation, changes must be made to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” De Blasio said, gaining the applause of those in attendance. “And here we must make sure that those aiming to harm others are simply not allowed to walk our streets.” VANDALS LEAVE X-RATED GRAFFITI ALL OVER HOWARD BEACH SCHOOL BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@queenscourier.com @robbpoz Halloween vandalism often occurs in communities across Queens, but what Howard Beach residents discovered on a neighborhood school on the morning of Nov. 1 left them particularly disgusted. Profane tags and “pornographic drawings” were scrawled in red and silver paint, covering the doors, walls, playground equipment, ground and garbage containers at P.S. 207, located at 159-15 88th St., according to Joann Ariola, president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association. Many of the writings made derogatory references to the school’s principal, Eileen Davies, and another administrator. Other markings included multiple mentions of the F-word and “gay slurs,” Ariola noted, and depicted lewd sexual acts. Police said they believe the vandalism took place on Halloween Saturday between 3 and 6 p.m. and involved several individuals wearing masks. Some of the culprits’ images may have been captured on security cameras on the school grounds. The vandals are believed to be youths associated in some manner with P.S. 207, a source familiar with the investigation told The Courier. After discovering the vandalism, Photo via Facebook/Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association The repainted front doors of P.S. 207, which graffiti vandals tagged on Halloween. Ariola said, neighbors notified police, and the cleanup was underway in earnest on Sunday. Members of the 106th Precinct and its auxiliary unit — under the direction of Deputy Inspector Jeffrey Schiff, commanding officer — painted over and power-washed the vandalism off school property. The most vile images and writings were removed long before students returned to class on Monday morning. “Everybody had one common goal: the children shouldn’t see that profanity when it reopens,” Ariola said. Parks Department personnel cleaned the last of the vandalism from the playground during the day on Nov. 2. On its Facebook page, the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association received numerous messages from other residents wishing to participate in the cleanup. “It was wonderful to see the residents rally behind the school and the administration,” Ariola said, thanking the 106th Precinct in particular for its assistance. “The desire of residents to volunteer says a lot about Howard Beach and about its resiliency and the ability to work together.” The case has been referred to the 106th Precinct Detective Squad for further investigation, police said. Congressman Meeks recovering from mild heart attack, misses speaker vote BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@queenscourier.com/@robbpoz Congressman Gregory Meeks wasn’t at Capitol Hill on Oct. 29 to vote in the speaker of the house election, as he was recovering from a mild heart attack. The 62-year-old Democrat representing much of southern Queens and Rockaways said in a statement that he was “rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pain.” “In a short time, my doctors informed me that I had a Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons blocked artery, which caused a mild heart attack,” Meeks said. “The doctors successfully placed a stent in my artery to clear it. I expect to return to work in a few days.” The Oct. 29 House session began with members of Congress electing Republican Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as the new speaker, succeeding John Boehner, who announced last month he would step down after five years in the post. The vote was largely down the party line in the Republican-led House, with Democrats backing former Speaker and current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for re-election. In his statement, Meeks acknowledged that he “missed a few votes recently” due to family obligations. “My 90-year-old father is hospitalized and seriously ill, but my family is grateful for his strength and grace, and thanks all who have offered kind words and prayers.” The Courier reached out to Meeks’ office for further information and did not received a response as of press time. Now in his 10th term in Congress, Meeks represents New York’s Fifth Congressional District, which covers all or parts of Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens and the Rockaway Peninsula, as well as parts of southwestern Nassau County. Congressman Gregory Meeks


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