A Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter after fatally shooting a 22-year-old college student who accidentally went to the wrong house while looking for his friends late at night.

Glenwood Earl “Bubba” Pysher IV was unarmed and had his hands raised when Upper Pottsgrove Police Cpl. Sean Farrell shot him twice in the chest, according to prosecutors. Investigators say body-camera footage contradicts Farrell’s initial description of Pysher as charging toward him and shows the officer had less-lethal options available.

A Night With Friends Ended at the Wrong House

The shooting happened on August 23, 2026, after Pysher had spent the evening celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday.

Investigators said a designated driver took the group to the birthday celebrant’s home at around 11 p.m.

About 30 minutes later, Pysher left on foot to visit another friend who lived roughly half a mile away.

But he went to the wrong house.

Pysher’s father later said his son apparently believed he had reached his friend’s home and tried the door handle while calling out for someone to open the door.

The homeowner was startled and called 911 to report someone attempting to enter through the back of the house.

Officer Sean Farrell Arrived With His Gun Drawn

Cpl. Sean Farrell was the first officer to respond.

According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Farrell’s body-worn camera showed him walking down the driveway with his firearm already drawn and using its light to illuminate the area.

Farrell eventually spotted Pysher near the back patio.

From behind a vehicle in the driveway, the officer ordered him to show his hands.

Pysher raised his hands.

Farrell then repeatedly ordered him to get on the ground as Pysher continued walking toward the officer.

The Officer Fired Before Finishing His Warning

The final seconds of the encounter became central to the criminal case against Farrell.

According to prosecutors, Farrell repeatedly ordered Pysher to get on the ground.

He then began another warning: “Stop or I’ll …”

Before finishing the sentence, Farrell fired twice.

Both bullets struck Pysher in the chest.

The 22-year-old died from his injuries.

Investigators determined Pysher was approximately 17 to 20 feet away from Farrell when he was shot.

He did not have a weapon.

His hands were raised.

Prosecutors Say Pysher Was Not a Threat

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele concluded that the circumstances did not legally justify the use of deadly force.

According to Steele, Farrell was positioned a safe distance away and protected behind a vehicle.

Pysher was unarmed and had his hands in the air.

The officer also carried less-lethal equipment, including a Taser, that prosecutors say he could have used instead.

The district attorney concluded that Pysher did not present a threat that justified shooting him.

That finding led authorities to charge Farrell with voluntary manslaughter.

Body-Camera Footage Allegedly Contradicted the Officer’s Story

What Farrell reportedly said immediately after the shooting has also become a significant part of the case.

According to a criminal complaint affidavit, Farrell told another officer who arrived at the scene that Pysher had charged at him while screaming and refusing to get on the ground.

Investigators say the body-camera footage does not show that happening.

That discrepancy has drawn particular attention from Pysher’s family.

Their attorney, Ken Fulginiti, has accused Farrell of giving a false account in an attempt to justify the shooting and has sought access to the body-camera footage.

Pysher’s Friends Were Already Looking for Him

The circumstances become even more tragic because Pysher apparently realized he was at the wrong location before police arrived.

His father said Pysher sat on the back porch and contacted his friends.

They realized he had gone to the wrong house and began heading out to find him.

Before they could reach him, however, police arrived in response to the homeowner’s 911 call.

The encounter with Farrell ended with Pysher being shot.

Who Was Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV?

Pysher was a 22-year-old college student.

His death devastated his family and friends, who buried him on August 31.

His father has publicly discussed the circumstances surrounding his son’s final night, explaining that the young man was apparently confused about which house belonged to his friend.

The family’s attorney described the shooting as a preventable and reckless act and thanked prosecutors after the voluntary manslaughter charge was announced.

Farrell Turned Himself In

Farrell surrendered to Montgomery County detectives after the charge was filed.

A judge set his bail at $75,000.

As a condition of his release, Farrell was ordered to surrender his weapons to Pennsylvania State Police.

The voluntary manslaughter charge means prosecutors will now have to establish in court that Farrell’s use of deadly force was criminally unjustified.

The charge itself is an allegation, and Farrell has not been convicted.

Police Officers Are Rarely Charged After Fatal Shootings

The case also comes against the backdrop of the relatively small number of police officers criminally prosecuted after fatal on-duty shootings.

Criminal justice professor Philip Stinson of Bowling Green State University maintains a nationwide database tracking arrests of police officers.

His data showed that 218 local sworn officers had been charged with murder or manslaughter for fatal on-duty shootings between January 2005 and the end of July 2026.

Of those cases, 78 officers had been convicted of a crime, while 107 had either been acquitted or had their cases dismissed.

In Pennsylvania specifically, 10 officers had been charged during that period and six were convicted.

Body-Camera Video Could Be Crucial

The body-camera recording is likely to remain one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case.

Police shootings can unfold in seconds, and courts often have to determine what an officer reasonably perceived at the moment deadly force was used.

Here, prosecutors argue that the recording shows several details that undermine the justification for shooting Pysher.

He was unarmed.

His hands were raised.

Farrell was behind a vehicle and several yards away.

And prosecutors say the video does not support Farrell’s reported statement that Pysher charged at him screaming.

Those details will now form part of the legal case against the officer.

A Wrong Turn With Fatal Consequences

What began as a young man trying to walk to a friend’s house after a birthday celebration ended with a homeowner calling 911 and a police encounter lasting only moments.

Pysher apparently went to the wrong address, tried a door he believed belonged to his friend and later contacted friends after realizing his mistake.

Minutes later, he was dead.

Prosecutors now say the officer who shot him had other options and faced no threat requiring deadly force.

Farrell will have an opportunity to defend himself against those allegations in court. But for Pysher’s family, the criminal charge marks the beginning of a legal effort to determine accountability for a night they describe as horribly tragic and preventable.