Key facts
- Pennsylvania officer Cpl. Sean Farrell charged with voluntary manslaughter.
- Farrell fatally shot 22-year-old Glenwood Earl Pysher IV.
- Pysher was unarmed and had his hands in the air when shot.
- Body camera footage contradicts Farrell's claim that Pysher charged him.
- Farrell had less-than-lethal options available, including a taser.
A Pennsylvania police officer, Cpl. Sean Farrell, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. The incident occurred last week when Pysher, who had been out celebrating a friend's birthday, mistakenly went to the wrong house late at night while trying to find another friend's home.
Investigators reviewed body camera footage that showed Farrell yelling commands such as "Drop to the ground" and "Stop or I’ll..." before firing two shots. Pysher, who was unarmed and had his hands in the air, was struck twice in the chest and died. The Montgomery County District Attorney, Kevin Steele, stated at a news conference that Farrell had less-than-lethal options, including a taser, which he did not employ. Steele emphasized that Pysher posed no threat and that the use of deadly force was not legally justified.
An attorney for Pysher's family expressed gratitude to the district attorney's office and called for justice, describing the conduct as "horribly tragic, preventable and reckless."
Farrell surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and was released on $75,000 bail. He is required to surrender all weapons to state police as a condition of his release. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 10.
According to an affidavit, Farrell told another officer that Pysher had charged him, screaming and yelling, but the body camera footage did not support this claim. Pysher's father stated that his son likely thought he was at a friend's house and tried to open the door, startling the homeowner. Pysher then sat on the porch and contacted his friends, who realized he was at the wrong location and went to find him.
Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor who maintains a database of police officers arrested for on-duty fatal shootings, noted that since 2005, 218 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter. Of those, 78 have been convicted, and 107 acquitted or had cases dismissed. In Pennsylvania specifically, 10 officers have been charged in this period, with six convictions. Stinson commented that grand juries are often reluctant to second-guess officers' split-second decisions, and a majority of officers charged in such cases have shot unarmed individuals.