Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Death Penalty Sought In New Kensington Police Officer's Shooting Death

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a Pennsylvania man accused of killing a police officer and then leading law enforcement on a four-day manhunt with the help of his mother.

The Westmoreland County district attorney's office has filed a notice of intent to seek capital punishment if 29-year-old Rahmael Holt is convicted of first-degree murder.

Holt is charged with shooting 25-year-old New Kensington officer Brian Shaw as the officer chased him on foot after an attempted traffic stop Nov. 17.

Holt was arrested four days later in Pittsburgh. Defense attorney Justin Ketchel has called the evidence against his client "scant."

Prosecutors say the manhunt was prolonged by conflicting narratives told by the suspect's mother about when she had last seen her son. She has been charged with hindering apprehension.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.