Rahmael Sal Holt | Pennsylvania State Police via AP

Though the investigation has not yet been concluded, Rahmael Sal Holt has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, murder in the first degree, possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license. Holt had been on the run after shooting and killing New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw, and the manhunt was concluded when authorities subdued him 3.5 days later.

SWAT arrested him in Pittsburgh at a home, along with family and friends who were housing him, including his mother Sherry Holt, according to Pittsburgh’s Tribune Review.  He is being held without bail.

Officer Shaw, 25, had not yet served a year with the New Kensington Police Department when he stopped Holt during a regular traffic stop at 8 p.m. on a Friday. Holt attempted to escape on foot, and Officer Shaw pursued him into a parking lot. Drawing a pistol, Holt fired upon Officer Shaw six times with a .40 caliber weapon, fatally wounding him. Shaw would die at a nearby hospital.

As it was stated before, the investigation has not yet been concluded—among other things, the murder weapon is still missing. However, the casings were found at the scene of the crime and the arrest of Rahmael Sal Holt may prove to bring more evidence to light.

Police Chief James Klein said that,

Our officers are dedicated to providing the best possible service to protect you and keep you safe. There’s no better example than Officer Brian Shaw who gave his life serving this community… I promise you that officers will continue to serve with the same honor that Brian did.”

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, “A total of 1,512 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 63 hours or 151 per year. There were 143 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2016.” It also states that, “There have been 51,548 assaults against law enforcement officers in 2015, resulting in 14,453 injuries.”

If you do the math, that means that on average a Police Officer is killed every 57.6 hours.

Of course, to the family, friends and fellow officers of his department, these statistics have become much more than just a few numbers on a page.


Featured image courtesy of the Associated Press
