Pennsylvania officer charged with voluntary manslaughter after fatal shooting of college student

On Aug. 23, Upper Pottsgrove Police Corporal Sean Farrell shot and killed 22-year-old college student Glenwood Earl Pysher IV after the young man mistakenly arrived at the wrong house while waiting for friends. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele charged Farrell with voluntary manslaughter, stating that the officer had less-than-lethal options such as a taser that were not employed, and that Pysher was unarmed, hands raised, and standing 17-20 feet away behind a car.

Body-worn camera footage shows Farrell ordering the suspect to show his hands and drop to the ground before firing two shots to the chest. Farrell turned himself in and will be arraigned, with bail and a preliminary hearing to follow. Pysher had been out celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday and mistakenly tried to enter what he thought was his friend’s home.

The victim’s family, represented by attorney Ken Fulginiti, thanked the DA’s office and called the incident “horribly tragic, preventable and reckless.” The case underscores scrutiny of police use-of-force protocols in Pennsylvania.