Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele charged Upper Pottsgrove Cpl. Sean Farrell with voluntary manslaughter.
Why it matters: The case puts a police shooting and body-camera evidence before Montgomery County prosecutors in Pennsylvania. It could also draw attention to how voluntary manslaughter charges are used in officer-involved shootings.
- Montgomery County prosecutors filed the charge Sept. 1, according to AP and WHYY.
- The case stems from the Aug. 23 shooting death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV, 22, in Upper Pottsgrove Township.
- Prosecutors said Pysher had been drinking with friends and walked to the wrong house after a birthday gathering.
- DA Kevin Steele said body-camera video showed Pysher did not yell, scream or present a threat before he was shot.
Montgomery County prosecutors charged Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of college student Glenwood Earl Pysher IV, according to AP. The shooting happened Aug. 23 in Upper Pottsgrove Township, a Philadelphia suburb in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The district attorney's office reviewed body-worn camera footage before filing the charge, AP reported. In its reporting, WHYY said prosecutors described Pysher as someone who had been drinking with friends and then walked to the wrong house after leaving a birthday gathering.
Prosecutors said police responded to a 911 call about a possible break-in attempt. District Attorney Kevin Steele said the video showed Pysher did not yell, scream or present a threat to Farrell or the homeowner before he was shot. Steele said, "This is not a legal use of deadly force, leading to the charge of voluntary manslaughter."
Voluntary manslaughter is a serious homicide charge that, in this case, reflects prosecutors' view that the shooting was not legally justified. The available reporting does not include the charging documents themselves or additional courtroom filings.
By the numbers
- 22 - Age of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV
- Sept. 1 - Date prosecutors filed the charge
- Aug. 23 - Date of the shooting
Yes, but: The reporting available here does not include the charging documents themselves, so the full legal theory is not yet public.