Mourners line up to pay respects to fallen New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw
An estimated 1,000 mourners moved through Rusiewicz Funeral Home in Lower Burrell on Monday evening to pay respects to Brian Shaw, the New Kensington police officer who was shot to death during a traffic stop Friday night.
On Monday, the first of two days of visitation, a Jeep and pickup truck seemed to tag team each other driving in front of Rusiewicz's with a large “thin blue line flag” — a modified American flag with a blue line through it — used to support law enforcement when officers die in the line of duty.
While the constant stream of law enforcement officers was typical of such funereal occasions, another demographic stood out. Indicative of the depth of tragedy associated with Shaw's death was the high number of young mourners.
They were the peers of the 25-year-old Shaw.
“I'm just so shocked, him being so young, you don't expect this,” said Chris Chavez, 28, of Oakmont, who had known Shaw since he was 9.
Chavez was with Shaw's brother, Steffan Shaw, a Penn Hills police officer, when they received the news of the shooting on Friday night in New Kensington.
Chavez rushed to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison to be with the Shaw family, where he said he was initially hopeful.
“I kept thinking, ‘He's going to be all right,' ” Chavez said.
“Then you see the nurse bawling and the tears,” he said. “It's so awful.”
Shaw's youthful energy was striking, Murrysville police Chief Tom Seefeld said.
Seefeld is a former New Kensington chief who was on a panel of police officials who interviewed Shaw for New Ken's full-time position.
Shaw had been on the job only five months when he was shot.
“He was impressive and powerful,” Seefeld said. He stood out from several other candidates, the chief said.
First day of visitation
The sunny skies and a stiff breeze made for a stark and chilly day. The funeral home's flag flew at half-staff, as did official flags at the state Capitol in Harrisburg and in Westmoreland County, as was ordered Sunday by Gov. Tom Wolf.
A handful of crossing guards worked Leechburg Road and Alder Street, helping to usher mourners from an overflow parking area, the expansive empty lot once owned by Montgomery Ward.
One crossing guard remarked that the last time he helped cross so many mourners at Rusiewicz was during the visitations for Derek Kotecki, a Lower Burrell police officer who was fatally shot in an ambush on Oct. 12, 2011.
Lower Burrell Councilmen Chris Koziarski and Christopher Fabry, who visited Rusiewicz's on Monday, remarked that the city will continue to do all it can to help with the Shaw visitations and funeral.
The Salvation Army provided coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts from Oakmont Bakery to public safety officers working the scene and journalists, and portable toilets were brought in because of the size of the crowd.
The Lower Burrell VFW also provided assistance.
Paying respects
Police officers from throughout the region hugged at the funeral home's entrance as they arrived.
For police, Shaw's death added to a continually increasing tally of officers killed in the line of duty.
“Shaw just started,” said William Engeman of Wexford, who retired as a sergeant from Northern Regional Police.
“I dread these days,” he said. “I've been on the job for 40 years, and it's not getting any better.”
People didn't have to know Shaw's history or dedication to like him and remember him, according to many leaving the funeral home.
“He was just so wonderful,” said Amy Gigler, 51, of East Deer, who visited the funeral home with her son, Nick Gigler, 24, also of East Deer.
Shaw had worked part-time in East Deer and for several other departments.
“If he was driving by, he would stop and talk,” she said.
Her son added, “He would stop and play kickball with the kids.”
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4691, mthomas@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaThomas_Trib.
