Pennsylvania Police Officer Charged in Fatal Shooting Incident

An Upper Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, police officer faces charges of voluntary manslaughter after a tragic encounter led to the death of college student Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. The 22-year-old was shot and killed on August 23 by Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the details of the charges on Tuesday.

According to officials, Pysher, after an evening out at a bar with friends, mistakenly knocked on the wrong door. This misstep resulted in a homeowner reporting a break-in. Pysher had sent a picture of the location to friends, realizing his error, and shared his coordinates for them to assist him.

Before his friends could reach him, Farrell arrived on the scene and discovered Pysher on a back patio. While Pysher was unarmed, Farrell, equipped with a taser and baton, resorted to using his pistol. Steele remarked, “This is not a legal use of lethal force.”

Body camera footage, referenced in a criminal complaint, reveals Pysher complying with Farrell’s commands by putting his hands up and moving toward Farrell. Despite Pysher’s compliance, Farrell shot him twice after issuing a warning to stop. Pysher was approximately 17-20 feet away from Farrell at the moment of the shooting.

Further analysis of the footage contradicts Farrell’s statement to another officer that Pysher charged at him. “The young man has his hands up, he does not have a weapon,” Steele noted. “He was inebriated but listening to commands.” There was no evidence of aggressive behavior or intent to commit a felony.

The complaint emphasizes that Farrell, maintaining a secure distance, had other less lethal options at his disposal. His use of deadly force was deemed unreasonable.

Pysher’s parents, who spoke with CBS News, remember their son as a well-liked individual ready to start his studies at Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey. “They are trying very hard to understand why this happened,” Steele conveyed.

Farrell has surrendered voluntarily to Montgomery County detectives and plans to attend his arraignment later in the evening.