Cop Who Shot Unarmed NJ College Athlete Dead Charged, Officials Say

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The Pennsylvania police officer who shot and killed a New Jersey college athlete has been criminally charged, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

On Tuesday, authorities announced that Upper Pottsgrove Police Corporal Sean Farrell, 58, is charged with voluntary manslaughter following a shooting that left a 22-year-old Saint Elizabeth University baseball player dead.

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The charges stem from an Aug. 23 incident, during which the victim, Glenwood "Bubba" Pysher, was celebrating a friend's 21st birthday party around Upper Pottsgrove, according to officials.

Around 12:30 p.m, Pysher tried to go to a friend's house to keep partying, but mistakenly ended up on the back patio of the wrong residence, police said. The owners of the home called 9-1-1 to report a "white male, late teens/early 20s, in the rear of the residence reportedly trying to break into the home," authorities said.

Farrell was the first to arrive on the scene.

Investigators reviewed Farrell's body-worn camera, which captured footage of Farrell walking down the driveway with his department-issued firearm drawn, using its mounted light for illumination, police said.

Authorities said Farrell positioned himself behind a red car in the driveway when he first observed Pysher standing on the home's cement patio, several feet from the rear door of the home.

Pysher was standing still on the patio when Farrell yelled, "Police, let me see your hands," followed by, "Hands up, hands up now, drop to the ground."

On the video, Pysher can be seen raising his hands in the air, clearly visible, as he began walking toward Farrell.

Farrell again yelled: "Drop to the ground" as Pysher continued to walk toward him with his hands raised. Again, the corporal shouted, "Drop to the ground," then, "Stop or I'll…" but before finishing that command, fires two shots, hitting Pysher twice in the chest from roughly 20 feet away, authorities said.

Detectives found two fired cartridge casings on scene from Farrell's gun. No firearm or other weapon was recovered at the scene.

Authorities said Pysher was unarmed at the time of the fatal shooting. The coroner's report determined the cause of death to be homicide.

Farrell turned himself in to Montgomery County Detectives on Tuesday and is awaiting arraignment, at which time bail will be set, and a preliminary hearing will be scheduled.

"The investigation found that Cpl. Farrell had less-than-lethal options on his utility belt that he did not employ, including a taser," said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. "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."

Pysher, a 2023 graduate of Upper Pottsgrove High School, was set to start at Saint Elizabeth University in Morris Township in August. A star catcher, he previously played college ball at Francis Marion University in South Carolina and at Northampton Community College.

Saint Elizabeth University has released a statement on the shooting, saying that the community is "heartbroken," and that Pysher's "life and promise were taken far too soon."

"Bubba was only 23 years old, a promising young man, athlete, and scholar who loved his family dearly," Anthony Napoli wrote in a GoFundMe launched for his family. "Everyone who knew him will remember his love for baseball and the joy he found in catching balls, something that brought so much pride to his father, mother, three sisters, and the entire Pysher family. Bubba meant so much to so many, and his loss has deeply shaken all who loved him."

More than $30,000 had been raised to support the family as of early Tuesday. More than 500 people have donated.

— With reporting from Dino Ciliberti