Fatally shot officer remembered
Slippery Rock University graduate Brian Shaw, a kicker for two state championship football teams in college, was shot and killed Friday night while on duty as a police officer in New Kensington.
Shaw, 25, graduated from SRU in 2013 and played for its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title teams in 2011 and 2013. He received a degree in criminal justice.
Shaw graduated from the Allegheny County Police Training Academy in 2014 and joined the New Kensington police force in June. He was shot twice by a suspect fleeing a vehicle after a routine traffic stop on Leishman Avenue and died later that night at Allegheny Valley Hospital.
“The lowest, worst part of being a coach is having to attend the funeral service of one of your players,” retired Rock football coach George Mihalik said. “There's no good reason why something like this should happen.
“I got the text around midnight (Saturday). I thought ... It can't be. Not Brian. This hits so close to home. He was one of the people out there protecting us."
Former SRU punter James McCombie roomed with Shaw for three years at The Rock.
“He was his own biggest critic,” McCombie said. “I've never known anybody with a bigger heart. He knew what he stood for and he died doing what he loved to do.
“He had a passion for police work and helping people.”
A moment of silence was observed in honor of Shaw at Saturday's SRU home basketball games and Saturday night's Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game.
Pennsylvania state police have issued an arrest warrant for 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt, who was still on the run as of Sunday afternoon.
A full report will appear in Monday's Butler Eagle.
