An Upper Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing a college student who was at the wrong house. Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the Aug. 23 shooting death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV, 22, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said Tuesday. Authorities said Pysher knocked on the door of the wrong house after being at a bar with friends. What followed was a quick interaction with Farrell and a shooting that Steele said was unjustified. “This is not a legal use of deadly force,” Steele said. Steele said Pysher was at a bar early on Aug. 23 before deciding to walk to a friend’s house. But he knocked on the wrong door, prompting the owners to report a robbery. According to a criminal complaint, Pysher had sent his friends a photo of the house he was in and they realized he was in the wrong place, so he sent them his location so they could go look for him. Before Pysher’s friends arrived, Farrell showed up and found Pysher in a backyard, according to the complaint. Authorities said Pysher was unarmed. Farrell was equipped with a Taser and a baton, but he went straight for his gun, according to Steele and the criminal complaint. This undated photo provided by Erin Pysher shows Glenwood Pysher IV, who was shot and killed by police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, Pennsylvania. on Sunday, August 23, 2026. (Erin Pysher via AP) Erin Pysher Steele said body camera video shows Farrell gave Pysher commands to put his hands up and get on the ground. Body camera video showed Pysher raising his hands and walking toward Farrell, according to a criminal complaint. Farrell told Pysher to get off two more times and then yelled, “Stop or I’ll do it,” but he shot Pysher twice before completing his sentence, according to the criminal complaint. Pysher was between 17 and 20 feet away from Farrell at the time, according to the complaint. According to the criminal complaint, body camera video shows Farrell later telling another officer, “The damn guy attacked me, yelling and screaming and he didn’t get down on the ground.” But Steele said that’s not what they saw when they reviewed the video. “The young man has his hands up. He does not have a weapon. He did not charge or act aggressively. He was not a threat to the homeowners. He was intoxicated but was listening to commands about putting his hands up,” Steele said. “He is not trying to escape nor has he committed a serious crime.” The complaint also noted that “Farrell was a safe distance from Pysher, behind cover, as Pysher approached him with his hands in the air,” alleging that “Corporal Farrell unreasonably used deadly force without any consideration of using less lethal means against Pysher.” 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) Matt Rourke CBS News spoke with Pysher’s parents last week. They described their son as a good boy loved by his community. He was scheduled to begin at Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey this week. Pysher’s funeral was held on Monday. “They are trying so hard to understand why this happened and why their son was taken from them,” Steele said. Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County detectives on Tuesday. He was scheduled to be arraigned later Tuesday night. Farrell’s bond was set at $75,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 10. Ken Fulginiti, an attorney representing the Pysher family, said many questions remain about the shooting, but they are determined to get answers. “The family is very interested in making sure there is justice,” Fulginiti said. More from CBS News at:
