POLICE Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Man Suspected of Killing PA Officer Arrested

According to police, 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt was arrested without incident around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday in Hazelwood. Holt is accused of killing 25-year-old Officer Brian Shaw on Friday.

November 21, 2017
Man Suspected of Killing PA Officer Arrested

Rahmael Sal Holt arrives at the New Kensington Police Department. Holt, who is suspected of killing New Kensington officer Brian Shaw Friday, was captured by a law enforcement task force Tuesday morning. (Photo: KDKA Screen Shot)


The man suspected in the fatal shooting of a New Kensington, PA, police officer is in custody.

Ad Loading...

According to police, 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt was arrested without incident around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday in Hazelwood. Holt is accused of killing 25-year-old Officer Brian Shaw on Friday.

The FBI, U.S. Marshals, Allegheny County Police and the Pittsburgh SWAT team made the arrest, KDKA TV reports.

Holt was transported to New Kensington, where he was led into the magistrate’s office around 9 a.m. The handcuffs used on Holt belonged to Officer Shaw.

Police have been searching for Holt since the shooting happened around 8:15 p.m. Friday after police tried to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in New Kensington.

Holt has been charged with first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer; murder of the first degree; possession of a firearm; and carrying a firearm without a license, according to an online court docket.

According to an affidavit, Officer Shaw attempted a traffic stop of a Jeep driven by Tavon Harper, 27. The Jeep never stopped, the affidavit said. Holt, a passenger, fled the vehicle on foot while Harper drove away, the affidavit said.

It was then that Holt, being pursued by Officer Shaw, fired multiple shots, killing the patrolman, according to the affidavit. Officer Shaw, shot at least once in the chest, was taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, where he was pronounced dead.

Harper was taken into custody Monday  by Westmoreland County detectives. Harper is charged with fleeing or attempting to elude and two drug offenses. He was arraigned and is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $500,000 straight bond.

The Post-Gazettte reports that court records show that Holt’s mother, Sherry, his cousin, Marcel Mason, and Mason’s girlfriend, Aysa Benson, have all been arrested and charged with hindering apprehension.

Ad Loading...

More Patrol

Pink Streamlight Wedge XT flashlight.
PatrolNovember 13, 2025

Streamlight Marks 15 Years of Support for Breast Cancer Research Foundation With $20k Donation

In its 15th year of supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Streamlight donated $20,000 to help in the fight against cancer. Donations were generated through the sale of special Wedge XT models and other pink flashlights.

Read More →
center circle image of PTSD Help Expanded surrounded by military and first responder images
PatrolNovember 11, 2025

Police-Led Mental Health Charity Expands to Include Veterans

Talk To Me Post Tour (TTMPT), a non-profit organization that has been providing peer-support programs and professional psychological support for first responders, is now expanding services to military veterans.

Read More →
police officer holding a folded flag and headline for Officer Killed
PatrolNovember 10, 2025

WakeMed Campus Police Officer Killed in Hospital Shooting

A WakeMed Campus Police Officer died after being shot in the lobby of the emergency department at a North Carolina hospital over the weekend.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Black background with blue graphic outline of state of Florida and headline Video Released: barricaded Suspect Falls Through Ceiling and Into SWAT Custody.
PatrolNovember 10, 2025

Video Shows Barricaded Suspect Fall Through Ceiling and Into SWAT Custody

Deputies in Indian River County, Florida, apprehended a suspect after he fell through the ceiling with SWAT members waiting below. The sheriff’s department released video of the apprehension.

Read More →
thumbnail for video series POLICE From the Show Floor featuring T2 Systems.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 10, 2025

From the Show Floor: T2 Systems

Learn about T2 Systems and its electronic parking enforcement solutions. Retired Chief John Holland outlines the benefits of using such a system to manage parking enforcement.

Read More →
view of a mobile observation trailer deployed in a parking lot against a blue sky
Patrolby Wayne ParhamNovember 10, 2025

Texas Police Department Adds Reconview Tower

A Texas police chief shares how the Decatur Police Department will use its new Reconview observation tower.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Thumbnail for POLICE video From theShow Floor: Traka
Patrolby Wayne ParhamOctober 30, 2025

From the Show Floor: Traka

Join POLICE as we visit with Steve Atkinson of Traka and learn about the company’s asset management cabinets and key lockers.

Read More →
image of conference stage top left, inset image of two men standing at right, and lower left logo for Team Wendy
PatrolOctober 29, 2025

Team Wendy Shares New DREW Data During Personal Armour Systems Symposium

Team Wendy shared data about DREW, a biofidelic helmet-test rig built to simulate real head-to-ground falls and capture both linear and rotational head motion, during the recent Personal Armour Systems Symposium in Belgium.

Read More →
Images for three athletes - discus, weightlifting, baseball, and inset image of San Diego highway sign and logo for 2026 US Police and Fire Championships.
PatrolOctober 28, 2025

2026 US Police and Fire Championships to Unite First Responders in San Diego for 59th Annual Event

The 2026 US Police and Fire Championships, featuring more than 35 Olympic-style events and new competitions, will return to San Diego, California.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Collage of police officers and a firefighter with FOX & Frends logo.
PatrolOctober 27, 2025

FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends to Host Live Audience for National First Responders Day

In honor of National First Responders Day, FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends will host a live audience made up of first responders and their families. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel have been invited to attend the live program.

Read More →