New Kensington woman appeals conviction on charges of helping cop killer

A New Kensington woman is appealing her conviction on charges she helped her cousin avoid capture after the 2017 killing of a police officer.

In court documents filed this week, the lawyer for Lisa Harrington contends jurors should not have been allowed to watch video that depicted the Nov. 17, 2017, shooting of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw.

“Ms. Harrington respectfully asserts that said video and audio was irrelevant to the instant case. To the extend that the video and audio had minimum relevance, such relevance was substantially outweighed by it’s unfair prejudicial effect,” wrote a defense lawyer Adam Gorzelsky.

Harrington, 34, was convicted in March by a Westmoreland County jury of five felony counts including hindering the apprehension of Rahmael Holt during a four-day manhunt for the man police say shot and killed Shaw on a New Kensington street after he fled by foot from an attempted traffic stop.

Holt, 33, of Harrison, was convicted last year of first-degree murder for Shaw’s killing and sentenced to death.

Police said Harrington drove Holt to Pittsburgh hours after the shooting and, a day later, discarded the gun police was used to kill Shaw.

In the appeal, Gorzelsky said Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway made two incorrect rulings during Harrington’s trial. In addition to allowing jurors to see the shooting video, Gorzelsky argues the judge improperly barred from evidence testimony that another person, not Harrington, removed and discarded the gun.

Harrington last week was sentenced by Hathaway to serve three to seven years in prison.

Gorzelsky, in the appeal, contended that penalty is “grossly excessive” and asked that it be vacated.