New York man convicted of murdering police officer to be sentenced

[April 03, 2017]  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York judge on Monday will sentence a man convicted of first-degree murder for gunning down a police officer in 2015, a case that angered city officials because the killer was on the streets after a drug charge despite a history of offenses.

Tyrone Howard, 32, was convicted by a Manhattan Supreme Court jury of firing a single shot into Officer Randolph Holder's temple in East Harlem in October 2015.

Howard had shot repeatedly into a crowd of people on a street, then stole a bicycle at gunpoint. He ran into Howard and his partner, who were responding to the report of the shooting, and then shot Howard to death.

Howard was convicted of six charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated murder and robbery. He could face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Before the shooting, Howard had been sentenced to receive treatment as part of a plea bargain for selling crack cocaine. His sentence in that case was changed to 12 years in prison after the killing.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and then Police Commissioner William Bratton sharply criticized the outcome of the earlier case after Holder's shooting. They suggested that two state judges erred in allowing Howard to remain on the streets after a history of drug offenses.

Tyrone Howard speaks to the judge during his sentencing hearing following a guilty plea in a drug charge in Manhattan Supreme Court in New York November 12, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Howard, who failed to complete his treatment, was wanted in connection with a gang-related shooting at the time of Holder's death.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Frank McGurty and Meredith Mazzilli)

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