Pennsylvania officer charged in fatal shooting of unarmed student

A Pennsylvania police corporal has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after prosecutors said he fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old college student who had gone to the wrong house while looking for friends late at night.

Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County detectives Tuesday in the Aug. 23 shooting of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. Farrell’s bail was set at $75,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10. As a condition of release, he must turn in all weapons to state police, a district attorney’s office spokesperson told The Guardian.

“This is not a legal use of lethal force,” Steele said.

Investigators said Pysher had been out at bars with friends earlier that night, including to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday. A designated driver took the group to the birthday celebrant’s home around 11 p.m., and Pysher left about half an hour later to walk about a half-mile to another friend’s house, according to prosecutors. He ended up at the wrong home.

His father, Glen Pysher, told The Associated Press last week that, based on what his son’s friends told him, Pysher tried to enter what he thought was his friend’s house. “He tried to open the doorknob and obviously startled the homeowner,” he said. “From what we understand, he announced: ‘Hey! Open the door!’ because he thought he was at his friend’s house.”

The homeowners called 911 to report someone trying to break into the back door. Prosecutors said Pysher had sent friends a photo of the house, and after they realized he was in the wrong place, he sent them his location so they could pick him up.

Before they arrived, Farrell reached the scene. Prosecutors said his body-worn camera showed him walking down the driveway with his gun drawn, using its light to illuminate his path. Standing behind a car in the driveway, he saw Pysher on the patio near the back door.

According to the criminal complaint and prosecutors, Farrell shouted, “Police, let me see your hands,” then, “Hands up, hands up now, drop to the ground.” Video showed Pysher raising his hands and walking toward the officer. Farrell twice more ordered him to get down, then yelled, “Stop or I’ll …” but fired two shots before finishing the sentence, prosecutors said.

Pysher was struck twice in the chest and killed. He was about 17 to 20 feet from Farrell, investigators said.

Farrell later told another officer that Pysher had charged him, “screaming and yelling and wouldn’t get down on the ground,” according to the complaint. Steele said the video did not support that account.

“The young man has his hands up. He does not have a weapon. He did not charge or act aggressively,” Steele said. “He was not a threat to the homeowners. He was inebriated but listening to commands about putting his hands up.”

Prosecutors said Farrell had less-than-lethal options, including a taser and baton, but did not use them. The complaint said Farrell was “a safe distance from Pysher, behind cover,” and alleged he “unreasonably used deadly force without any consideration of using less lethal means.”

Pysher had been set to start at Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey this week. His funeral was held Monday.

Ken Fulginiti, an attorney for Pysher’s family, said the family is seeking accountability. “This seems like it was a totally innocuous, pedestrian nothing and it somehow resulted in the murder of a 22-year-old son, brother, grandson,” he said. In a separate statement, Fulginiti said the family was grateful to prosecutors and “looking forward to justice in this horribly tragic, preventable and reckless conduct that took the life of their son.”