Defense: PTSD Would Have Prevented Woman From Hiding Weapon
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The attorney for a woman accused of hiding a gun used in the shooting death of a western Pennsylvania police officer says she could not have done so because she is afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder and cannot enter basements like the one where the weapon was found.
The Tribune-Review reports that defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky said in court documents filed Monday that 33-year-old Lisa Harrington alleges that she endured physical abuse as a child while locked in a basement. He says that left her with "an immense fear of basements to the point that she has not entered one since she was a child."
Harrington was charged with hindering apprehension of her 31-year-old cousin, Rahmael Sal Holt, who was charged with gunning down New Kensington officer Brian Shaw during a November 2017 traffic stop. Holt was sentenced to death last year after he was convicted of first-degree murder.
After Holt's conviction, additional charges were filed against Harrington accusing her of disposing of the murder weapon.
A Westmoreland County judge has agreed to a defense request to allow Harrington to be evaluated for PTSD or other psychological disorders.
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