Prosecutors say Glenwood Pysher IV was unarmed with his hands raised when an Upper Pottsgrove police corporal fired twice.
NORRISTOWN, PA — A Pennsylvania police corporal has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old college student who mistakenly went to the wrong house while trying to meet friends, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell, 58, is charged in the Aug. 23 death of Glenwood Earl Pysher IV. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said investigators reviewed Farrell’s body-worn camera footage and concluded the officer’s use of deadly force was not justified. Prosecutors say Pysher was unarmed, had his hands raised and was about 17 to 20 feet from Farrell when the officer fired two shots. Farrell had less-lethal equipment available, including a Taser, Steele said.
The encounter began after Pysher had spent the evening with friends celebrating a 21st birthday at several bars, according to investigators. A designated driver later took members of the group to a friend’s home. Pysher left around 11:30 p.m. and planned to walk about a half-mile to another friend’s house, but authorities said he became confused and went to a different residence on Snyder Road in Upper Pottsgrove Township.
Investigators said Pysher went to the back patio of the home and apparently believed he had reached his friend’s house. The residents, awakened by activity near their back door, called 911 to report what they believed was an attempted break-in. According to the criminal complaint, Pysher sent friends a photograph of the house. They realized he was at the wrong address, and Pysher then shared his location so they could pick him up. Farrell arrived before they did.
Farrell was the first officer at the scene and walked down the driveway with his department-issued handgun drawn, according to investigators’ description of the body-camera footage. He positioned himself behind a vehicle and saw Pysher on the patio. Farrell identified himself as a police officer and ordered Pysher to show his hands, raise them and get on the ground. Authorities said Pysher raised his hands and began walking toward Farrell while the officer continued ordering him to the ground.
Investigators said Farrell again told Pysher to get down and then began another warning before firing twice. Pysher was struck and died from his injuries. Authorities said no weapon was found on Pysher. Steele said Farrell was behind cover and at a safe distance, while Pysher had his hands visible and was not acting aggressively. “This is not a legal use of lethal force,” Steele said when announcing the charge.
The criminal complaint also describes what Farrell told another officer after the shooting. Farrell said Pysher had charged at him while yelling and refusing to get down, according to investigators. Prosecutors said the body-camera footage did not support that account. Steele said the video showed Pysher with his hands up and did not show him charging Farrell or posing a threat to the people inside the house. The prosecution’s account is an allegation that will be tested through the court process, and the voluntary manslaughter charge does not amount to a finding of guilt.
Pysher, known to family and friends as “Bubba,” was preparing to continue his college education and baseball career. His mother told NBC10 Philadelphia that he had previously played baseball at Northampton Community College and had transferred to Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey, where he planned to play during his senior season and study to become a history teacher. His funeral was held Monday, one day before prosecutors announced the criminal charge.
Farrell had served with the Upper Pottsgrove Police Department since 2005 and was placed on administrative leave, according to local reporting. He surrendered to Montgomery County detectives Tuesday. Magisterial District Judge Kathleen Rebar set bail at $75,000, and authorities said Farrell must surrender his weapons to Pennsylvania State Police as a condition of release. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10. No attorney for Farrell was listed in online court records cited by NBC10 Philadelphia as of Tuesday night.
The case now moves into the preliminary-hearing stage, where prosecutors must establish sufficient evidence for the charge to proceed. The shooting remains the subject of the criminal case brought by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, while Pysher’s family, through an attorney, has said it wants accountability for his death.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.