A Pennsylvania police corporal has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after prosecutors said he fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old man who had mistakenly gone to the wrong house in Upper Pottsgrove Township.
Sean Farrell, 58, was arraigned on Tuesday and released on $75,000 bail over the death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. The shooting happened shortly after 12.30am on Sunday, 23 August, when officers were called to a property on Snyder Road following a report of a possible break-in.
Investigators allege that Mr Pysher had been drinking while celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday before walking to the wrong address. He was reportedly on the rear patio of the house when the resident called 911.
Body-camera footage examined by prosecutors
According to the Montgomery County district attorney’s office, Corporal Farrell arrived with his firearm drawn, identified himself as a police officer and ordered Mr Pysher to show his hands and get on the ground.
Prosecutors said the body-camera footage showed Mr Pysher raising his hands, which were clearly visible, and walking towards the officer. Farrell repeated the order to get down before firing two shots, striking Mr Pysher in the chest.
District Attorney Kevin Steele said the officer was positioned behind a car between 17 and 20 feet from Mr Pysher, and had access to less-lethal options including a Taser and a baton.
“This is not a legal use of lethal force under Pennsylvania law,” Mr Steele said, adding that he was “obligated under the law” to charge Farrell with voluntary manslaughter.
Mr Steele also said the footage did not support Farrell’s reported account that Mr Pysher had charged at him. The officer allegedly told another officer that the man had been screaming, yelling and refusing to get on the ground, but prosecutors said that behaviour was not depicted on the body camera.
No weapon was found on Mr Pysher or in the area where he was shot, according to investigators. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide.
Family questions why encounter escalated
Ken Fulginiti, a lawyer for the Pysher family, said relatives had been reassured by the account that Mr Pysher complied with police commands.
He said the family was struggling to understand why the encounter escalated so rapidly when the young man was unarmed, had his hands raised and was some distance from the officer.
Mr Pysher, known to friends and family as “Bubba”, was due to return to St Elizabeth University in New Jersey for his senior year, according to reports. His family has received support from a large gathering of mourners, the lawyer said.
Farrell, who has served with the Upper Pottsgrove Township Police Department since 2005, has been placed on administrative leave. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Authorities have not disclosed further details of any internal police review. The precise sequence of commands and events immediately before the shooting remains part of the investigation.
