Officer retires after allegedly fatally shooting 22-year-old who showed up at wrong house
A Pennsylvania police officer retired from his position after being charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old who had arrived at a wrong house, authorities told ABC News.
Upper Pottsgrove Township Cpl. Sean Farrell, 58, voluntarily retired from his position on Wednesday, one day after he was criminally charged and suspended without pay, Upper Pottsgrove Township Manager Joseph Geib confirmed to ABC News.
The township and police department will also begin an internal review of all "relevant policies, training protocols and field responses to ensure compliance and transparency," Geib said in a statement.
An investigation into the shooting found it was not a legal use of force by a police officer, and Farrell was charged with involuntary manslaughter, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
Glenwood Earl Pysher IV, 22, was fatally shot by Farrell on Aug. 23 after he showed up at a house mistakenly thinking it was a friend’s house.
The night of the shooting, police had responded to a 911 call for a possible attempted break-in at a residence, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
Farrell was the first to arrive on the scene to find Pysher in the rear of the residence, according to the DA's office.
Farrell's body-worn camera captured Farrell walking down the driveway with his firearm drawn, using a mounted light for illumination. Farrell positioned himself behind a red car in the driveway when he saw a man standing on the patio, according to the DA's office.
The male, later identified as Pysher, was several feet from the rear door of the residence when Farrell yelled, "Police, let me see your hands." Then yelled, "Hands up, hands up now, drop to the ground," according to the DA's office.
"On the video, Pysher can be seen raising his hands in the air, clearly visible, as he began walking toward Cpl. Farrell. The officer again yelled: "Drop to the ground" as Pysher continued to walk toward him with his hands raised," the DA's office said in a statement.
"Cpl. Farrell again yelled 'Drop to the ground,' then yelled 'Stop or I'll ... ' but prior to finishing that command, Cpl. Farrell fired two shots, striking Pysher twice in the chest. The victim was 17 to 20 feet away from Cpl. Farrell when he was fatally shot," the DA's office said.
Pysher was unarmed at the time of the shooting, according to the DA's office.
Pysher was out at several area bars earlier in the evening celebrating a friend's 21st birthday. The group was driven by a designated driver to the birthday celebrant's house, but Pysher left shortly after to walk a half mile to a different friend's house to continue drinking, but ended up on the back patio of the wrong house, according to the DA's office.
Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County Detectives on Tuesday. He was assigned and his bail has been set at $75,000, according to the DA's office.
"The Township recognizes the profound grief and loss experienced by Mr. Pysher's family, loved ones, friends, and the broader community. Out of respect for the Pysher family's privacy and the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings, Upper Pottsgrove Township and its Police Department cannot comment further on specific evidence or elements of the criminal case," Geib said.
An attorney for Farrell did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Farrell's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10.
