Pennsylvania police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in killing of college student

Pennsylvania police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in killing of college student 1 of 5 | Glenwood Pysher III, watches as pallbearers carry a casket containing the remains of his son Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV who was killed by police, in Pottstown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) 2 of 5 | This undated photo provided by Erin Pysher shows Glenwood Pysher IV, who was fatally shot by police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, Penn. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (Erin Pysher via AP) 3 of 5 | This booking photo provided by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, shows Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell. (Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office via AP) 4 of 5 | Pallbearers carry a casket containing the remains of Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV who was killed by police in Pottstown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) 5 of 5 | This image from body camera video released by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office shows Glenwood Earl Pysher IV seconds before he was shot on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, in Norristown, Pa. (Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office via AP) By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and KATE BRUMBACK Updated 9:41 PM MESZ, September 1, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Norristown, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania police officer who fatally shot a 22-year-old college student, who had ended up at the wrong house late at night and was waiting for friends to pick him up, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, a prosecutor said Tuesday. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell, 58, is charged in the Aug. 23 death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. The prosecutor said the officer had less-than-lethal options and did not need to resort to shooting Pysher during the encounter. Pallbearers carry a casket containing the remains of Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV who was killed by police in Pottstown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The Montgomery County Detective Bureau investigated the shooting and reviewed footage from Farrell’s body-worn camera, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. “The investigation found that Cpl. Farrell had less-than-lethal options on his utility belt that he did not employ, including a taser. At the time of the shooting, the officer was a safe distance from Pysher behind a car, and the victim had his hands in the air and did not possess any type of weapon. Mr. Pysher was not a threat. This is not a legal use of deadly force, leading to the charge of Voluntary Manslaughter,” Steele said in a news release. An attorney for Pysher’s family issued a statement thanking the prosecutor. “The family is grateful for the work of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and they are looking forward to justice in this horribly tragic, preventable and reckless conduct that took the life of their son,” said attorney Ken Fulginiti. Father says college student was killed by police in Pennsylvania after he went to wrong house 1 MIN READ For families of Pan Am 103 victims, delayed trial prolongs nearly 4-decade wait for justice 4 MIN READ Sean Grayson, former Illinois deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, dies in prison, lawyer says 4 MIN READ This booking photo provided by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, shows Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell. (Montgomery County District Attorney's Office via AP) This undated photo provided by Erin Pysher shows Glenwood Pysher IV, who was fatally shot by police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, Penn. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (Erin Pysher via AP) Farrell turned himself in to the Montgomery County Detectives on Tuesday and was awaiting arraignment by video, the district attorney’s office said. Bail was expected to be set at the arraignment, as well as the scheduling of a preliminary hearing. Farrell was the first officer on the scene after a resident called 911 to report someone trying to break into the back door of a home. Farrell’s body-worn camera showed the officer walking down the driveway with his gun drawn, using its light to illuminate the way, the release says. Standing behind a car in the driveway, Farrell saw Pysher on the home’s patio, near the back door. Farrell yelled, “Police, let me see your hands.” Then he yelled, “Hands up, hands up now, drop to the ground.” Glenwood Pysher III, watches as pallbearers carry a casket containing the remains of his son Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV who was killed by police, in Pottstown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Pysher is seen on video raising his hands as he began walking toward the officer and continuing to walk in that direction as the officer yelled, “Drop to the ground,” the release said. Farrell again yelled, “Drop to the ground,” then yelled, “Stop or I’ll...” But before he finished the sentence, Farrell fired two shots, hitting Pysher twice in the chest, the district attorney’s office said. Pysher was 17 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) from the officer when he was shot, the release says. The investigation found that Pysher had been out at several bars earlier in the evening to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday. A designated driver drove the group to the home of the person whose birthday it was around 11 p.m., and Pysher left about half an hour later to walk half a mile to another friend’s house to keep drinking but ended up at the wrong house, the release says. Pysher’s father has said he believes, based on what his son’s friends have told him, that his son tried to enter what he thought was his friend’s house. Mourners gather to pay their respects to Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV who was killed earlier by police in Pottstown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) “He tried to open the doorknob and obviously startled the homeowner,” Glen Pysher told The Associated Press last week. “From what we understand, he announced, ‘Hey! Open the door!’ because he thought he was at his friend’s house.” His son then sat down on the back porch and contacted his friends, who realized he was in the wrong place and set out to find him, the father said. TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Vejpongsa is a video journalist for The Associated Press in Philadelphia. She was previously based in Taipei and Bangkok. twitter KATE BRUMBACK Brumback covers courts, immigration, elections and breaking news. She is based in Atlanta. twitter instagram mailto