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Pennsylvania police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in fatal shooting of college student
Prosecutors allege an Upper Pottsgrove officer acted without legal justification when he fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old on a patio.
The short version
- Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the Aug. 23 fatal shooting of 22-year-old college student Glenwood Earl Pysher IV.
- Prosecutors said Pysher was unarmed, had his hands raised, and was mistakenly at the wrong house waiting for friends to pick him up when he was shot twice in the chest.
- The Montgomery County District Attorney determined the use of lethal force was unjustified because Farrell was behind cover at a distance and had less-lethal alternatives available.
- Farrell surrendered to detectives and is moving through initial court proceedings.
Key facts
- Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced voluntary manslaughter charges against Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell, 58, in connection with the Aug. 23 shooting death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV.[CBS News · Associated Press]
- Authorities stated that Pysher knocked on the wrong door after leaving a bar, prompting homeowners to call 911 about a suspected break-in while Pysher sent his location to friends so they could pick him up.[CBS News · Associated Press]
- According to the criminal complaint and prosecutor statements, body camera footage shows Pysher unarmed with his hands raised, walking toward the officer from a distance of about 17 to 20 feet.[CBS News · Associated Press]
- Investigators reported that Farrell instructed Pysher to get on the ground and yelled 'Stop or I'll—' before firing two shots into Pysher's chest before completing the sentence.[CBS News · Associated Press]
- Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County detectives ahead of his scheduled arraignment.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- Farrell's formal plea and the defense's response to the charges have not yet been detailed following his surrender.[CBS News]