College Student Shot Dead by Police at Wrong House in Pennsylvania

A 22-year-old college student was shot and killed by police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, PA, after ending up at the wrong home. His father says he was waiting for friends to pick him up when officers arrived.

Pennsylvania Police Kill 22-Year-Old Who Went to Wrong House While Waiting for Friends

Glenwood Pysher IV, a 22-year-old college student, was shot and killed by police in Upper Pottsgrove Township, northwest of Philadelphia, in the early hours of Sunday morning — minutes after realizing he was at the wrong house and calling friends to come get him, his father said Wednesday.

According to ABC News US, the Montgomery County district attorney's office confirmed that police responded at approximately 12:30 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a possible break-in attempt. Officers found Pysher at the rear of the property and subsequently shot and killed him.

His father, Glen Pysher, said his son and a group of friends had been out at several bars earlier that evening and were splitting up to stay at two separate homes when his son took a wrong turn in the woods. Based on accounts from the friends, Glen Pysher believes his son mistakenly attempted to enter what he thought was a friend's house. He was not carrying any weapons — only a phone and a backpack containing clothing and a few beers.

"He tried to open the doorknob and obviously startled the homeowner," Glen Pysher said. "From what we understand, he announced, 'Hey! Open the door!' because he thought he was at his friend's house."

After realizing his mistake, Pysher sat down on the back porch and contacted his friends. They recognized he was at the wrong address and set out to find him. Moments later, they saw police and emergency vehicles approaching, and assumed their friend would be arrested for public drunkenness. He was shot instead.

A Montgomery County Department of Public Safety dispatch record shows police were dispatched at 12:30 a.m. and arrived at 12:34 a.m. — one minute before the shooting. Glen Pysher highlighted the narrow window of time. "At 12:32 a.m. my son was on a FaceTime call with his friends that were coming to get him," he said. "We were told that my son was shot at 12:35 a.m. So what kind of encounter could have ensued? What kind of communication could that officer have given him?"

Upper Pottsgrove Township Police Chief Al Werner declined to release any information, including the names of officers involved, pending the outcome of the investigation. The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is leading the inquiry, the district attorney's office said.

The case has drawn comparisons to — though also contrasts with — a number of recent incidents in which homeowners themselves shot individuals who inadvertently turned up at their properties.

Glenwood Pysher IV was about to enter his senior year at Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey, where he was set to play baseball. He had planned to become a high school history teacher and coach after graduation.

His father described him as kindhearted and generous, someone who could be a "knucklehead" but was known for looking out for others. Since the shooting, former teammates, coaches, and friends have reached out with messages. "One young man in particular texted me and said, 'I was going through a lot of really difficult things in my life. I was going the wrong way. And your son is the one who helped me put my life on track,'" Glen Pysher recounted. "He will be sadly missed in his community."

The family says police have shared almost no information with them. When Glen Pysher called Wednesday to ask whether he could retrieve his son's favorite pair of black shoes to bury him in, he was initially told that could be arranged. "Then I got a call back saying they have to think about it," he said. "They don't know if they can give them to me."

Source: ABC News US