A police officer in Upper Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, is facing charges of voluntary manslaughter following the fatal shooting of a college student. The incident involved Cpl. Sean Farrell, who has been charged in the death of 22-year-old Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. The Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, made the announcement on Tuesday.
Pysher was out with friends at a bar on August 23 when he mistakenly knocked on the door of the wrong house. This led to the homeowners reporting what they believed to be a break-in. According to a criminal complaint, Pysher realized his error and sent his location to his friends, asking them to pick him up.
Before his friends arrived, Farrell encountered Pysher, who was unarmed, on a back patio. Although Farrell had a taser and baton available, Steele said he opted to use his pistol instead. Body camera footage showed Farrell instructing Pysher to raise his hands and get on the ground. Pysher complied by raising his hands but walked toward Farrell. Farrell issued commands to get down twice more before firing two shots, striking Pysher when he was approximately 17-20 feet away.
Despite Farrell’s claim that Pysher charged him, Steele stated the video evidence contradicted this. Pysher did not possess a weapon, nor did he act aggressively. Steele emphasized that Pysher was following commands to raise his hands and posed no threat.
The complaint argues that Farrell’s use of deadly force was unreasonable because Pysher posed no immediate threat. Farrell was deemed a safe distance from Pysher and had other options for handling the situation.
In interviews with CBS News, Pysher’s parents remembered their son as a well-loved individual. He was preparing to begin studies at Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey. They are seeking understanding of why the incident occurred.
Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County detectives and is expected to be arraigned Tuesday evening in connection with the charges.