‘The very best of our department’

He was the finest of New York’s Finest.

Hero cop Didarul Islam, who was gunned down in a deadly Midtown rampage by a rifle-toting maniac, is being hailed as a doting father, a generous neighbor and a shining example of the best of the NYPD.

“Police Officer Didarul Islam represented the very best of our department,” the NYPD said on X. “He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today. We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honor his legacy.”

Elected officials from City Hall to Washington, DC, also offered praise and condolences on Tuesday, one day after the 36-year-old father of two became one of four people killed by deranged gunman Shane Tamura during a rush hour shooting rampage in Midtown Manhattan.

Islam, a native of Bangladesh who lived in the Bronx, had served on the force for four years.

“I join millions of New Yorkers in mourning the horrific murder of New York Police Department officer Didarul Islam in yesterday’s tragic, senseless mass shooting,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement released Tuesday. 

“Officer Islam is a hero and we owe him an eternal debt of gratitude for his courage and service,” Jeffries said. “Officer Islam was tragically killed protecting others in the selfless tradition of New York’s Finest. He represents the very best of New York City and our immigrant journey.”

In a post on X, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the hero cop “the very best of New York.

“An immigrant from Bangladesh, he joined the NYPD to protect his city — and gave his life doing so,” Hochul said. “We hold his family in our prayers tonight.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams also paid tribute to the fallen officer.

“Officer Didarul Islam died as he lived, a hero and protector of New York City,” the mayor said in another online post. “We will never forget you.”

The four-year NYPD veteran was on duty at 345 Park Ave. around 6:30 p.m. Monday when Tamura walked into the lobby with an AR-15 style assault rifle, walked past Islam then turned and fired.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the deranged killer, a Las Vegas security guard, drove cross-country and arrived in the Big Apple earlier in the day, targeting the NFL over presumed CTE injuries.

After shooting Islam, Tamura shot and killed security guard Aland Etienne and 43-year-old Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, before taking the elevator to the 33rd floor, where he shot and killed Rudin Management employee Julia Hyman before turning the gun on himself.

“We lost a brother, a friend, and an NYPD hero,” Tisch said in a video to the rank and file.” Police Officer Didarul Islam was murdered wearing the uniform respected the world over — your uniform.

“Officer Islam’s death was just another reminder of everything you risk just by showing up to work. He knew that risk. He embraced it. He understood what it meant to put the safety of others above his own.”

The top cop said NYPD detectives have identified a suspected “associate” of Tamura’s who helped him assemble the murder weapon, as the investigation continues in both cities.

NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said Islam died doing his job.

“PO Didarul Islam was a hero from the moment he put on our uniform,” Hendry said. “When pure evil showed up on his post last night, he stood between that evil and innocent people.

“Police officers are mourning him as a friend and co-worker, but we ask all New Yorkers to honor him as the hero he was,” the PBA boss said.

Also expressing condolences was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who bemoaned the loss to the victims’ families and “our beloved NYPD community.

“Yesterday, a tragedy struck our neighborhood, just two blocks from St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” Dolan wrote on Facebook. “We are heartbroken by the loss of life. The victims, those who were injured and their families are in our prayers. We should never get used to violence or lose our respect for the sacredness of every human life.”

— Additional reporting by Tina Moore and Amanda Woods