Authorities in Pennsylvania are investigating the fatal police shooting of a 22-year-old college student after he reportedly knocked on the wrong door while looking for friends. Glenn Pysher, a student at Saint Elizabeth University, was shot and killed by police in the early hours of a Sunday morning in Upper Pottsgrove. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the shooting followed an encounter between officers and Pysher at the rear of a residence.
The incident began Saturday night when Pysher was out with friends at a bar. According to his mother, Erin Pysher, the group decided to continue their gathering at a nearby house. Pysher walked to the location alone but accidentally approached the wrong home in a wooded area. The homeowners, believing an attempted break-in was occurring, contacted 911 to report the situation.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after the emergency call. Erin Pysher stated that phone records show her son was speaking with friends at 12:32 a.m., and she believes police arrived and the shooting occurred by 12:35 a.m. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office described the event as an "encounter" that resulted in Pysher being shot. The family has stated that they have received no information from the police department regarding the use of non-lethal tools, such as Tasers, prior to the shooting.
The concrete day-to-day change for the involved parties is significant. The Pysher family is currently seeking information from law enforcement that has not yet been provided, describing a lack of communication from the Upper Pottsgrove Police Department. In the immediate term, the community is responding to the loss of a young man described by his father, Glenwood Pysher, as a well-liked member of the local area. The homeowners who placed the 911 call were involved in an event that escalated from a reported attempted break-in to a fatal officer-involved shooting.
The knock-on effects include an ongoing investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the District Attorney's office. This investigation will determine if the use of deadly force followed department protocols and state law regarding police encounters. The outcome could influence future police training or local policies regarding responses to reported residential trespassing. As of the current report, the Upper Pottsgrove Police Department has not released specific details about the shooting, and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau did not respond to requests for comment. A final determination on the legality of the shooting is pending the conclusion of the official investigation.