NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty for a man charged with first-degree murder in the shooting a New Orleans police officer in 2015.
New Orleans media report that the announcement came during a Friday morning hearing for 35-year-old Travis Boys. Police say Boys shot Officer Daryle Holloway before escaping from Holloway’s police vehicle.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s spokesman said the decision was based in part on the wishes of Holloway’s mother, who said she wanted the case to progress quickly.
Also, Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman said, Cannizzaro was mindful that the lengthy appeals that follow a death sentence create uncertainty for victims’ families.
Holloway was shot as he was transferring Boys to jail. Police said Boys somehow found or smuggled a gun into Holloway’s vehicle.
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