By RICH CHOLODOFSKY
The Tribune-Review
With his death Friday night, police Officer Brian Shaw became the 17th law enforcement officer from western Pennsylvania to be killed in the line of duty since 2000.
Shaw, 25, of Lower Burrell was killed during a traffic stop. His accused killer is the subject of a manhunt.
Investigators said Rahmael Sal Holt, 29, fired at least one shot that struck Shaw in the chest during the incident on Leishman Avenue in New Kensington.
The other officers who lost their lives:
• On July 14, state Trooper Michael Stewart was killed on Route 711 in Ligonier when his vehicle struck a garbage truck. No criminal charges resulted from Stewart's death.
• Canonsburg police Officer Scott Leslie Bashioum was shot and killed when he and another officer were ambushed during a domestic abuse call on Nov. 10, 2016.
• St. Clair police Officer Lloyd Reed was gunned down on Nov. 28, 2015 as he responded to a domestic abuse call at a home. His accused killer, Raymond Shetler , 32, of New Florence, is awaiting trial and county prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty against him if he is convicted of first-degree murder.
•Ligonier Township police Officer Eric Eslary, 40, was killed May 5, 2015 when his vehicle was hit on Route 30 by a drunk driver. His killer, Clair Fink , 33, of Ligonier pleaded guilty last year to third-degree murder and was sentenced in February to serve 12 to 30 years in prison.
• Lower Burrell police Officer Derek Kotecki was killed Oct. 12, 2011 during an ambush outside of a fast food restaurant. Charlie Post, the man police say fatally shot Kotecki, was killed during a shootout with police.
• Penn Hills police Officer Robert Crawshaw died in a gun battle on Dec. 6, 2009 when his patrol car was sprayed with gunfire from an AK-47-style rifle.
• Pittsburgh police Officers Paul Sciullio, Stephen James Mayhle and Eric Guy Kelly were killed in a shootout in the Stanton Heights section of the city on April 4, 2009.
• FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks was shot to death as he and other agents attempted to serve a warrant in Indiana Township on Nov. 19, 2008.
• State police Cpl. Joseph Pokorny was shot to death during a traffic stop on Dec. 12, 2005 in Carnegie.
• Perryopolis police Officer Richard Champion died on Dec. 12, 2004 during a vehicle pursuit.
• State police trooper Robert Bianchin of Harmony died in a car crash in Harmony, Butler County, on April 27, 2003.
• State police trooper Joseph Sepp was shot during a gun battle on Nov. 9, 2002 in Somerset.
• State police trooper Tod C. Kelly died after being struck by road debris in Robinson on Nov. 7, 2001.
• Aliquippa police Officer James Naim , 32, of Hopewell, Beaver County, was shot to death while patrolling the Linmar Terrace housing complex in Aliquippa on March 15, 2001.
According to the Officer Down memorial web page, there have been 115 deaths of on-duty police officers throughout the United States in 2017.
http://triblive.com/local/valleynews...uty-since-2001
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