Officer Miosotis Familia of the New York Police Department was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters, a family dynamic that gave her an outspoken personality and a no-nonsense edge, a nephew said — and made her a perfect fit for her job.

On Wednesday morning, Officer Familia, 48, died after she was shot in the head by a man who the police say fired a revolver into a parked police vehicle in the Bronx. She was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she was pronounced dead about three hours later.

The gunman, who was identified as Alexander Bonds, was fatally shot by the police a short time later, after he drew a gun, the police said. Mr. Bonds, 34, was paroled four years ago after serving seven years in state prison.

The killing of Officer Familia thrust the department into mourning and her family into grief.

“She would set anybody straight,” the nephew, John Cuello, said in an interview. “I’ve seen a lot of her putting her siblings in their place. Holding her ground. Her attitude was, ‘I might be the youngest one, but I’m the toughest one.’” He recalled her encouraging her nieces and nephews, whenever they got into neighborhood scrapes, to confront their problems head on, and never hide.