A man who sparked a massive manhunt for killing a police officer in November of 2015 has just been found not guilty after claiming he acted in self-defense.
By Matt Agorist - February 18, 2018
Greensburg, PA — In an extremely rare move, a jury has returned a verdict of not guilty in the trial of a man who killed a St. Clair Township police officer as he responded to a domestic violence call in November of 2015.
After six days of testimony and more than 20 hours of jury deliberations, Ray Shetler Jr. was found not guilty of murder Friday in the fatal shooting of St. Clair Township Police Officer Lloyd Reed, according to Trib Live.
Shelter was facing the death penalty for killing the officer before he was found not guilty of first and third-degree murder.
As Trib Live reports:
Shetler, 33, of New Florence, jumped up and hugged his defense attorney as the verdict was announced. His family members, seated just one row in front of Reed’s family, let out an audible gasp.
“You were in the courtroom, you saw him hugging me, thanking me for saving his life,” said defense attorney Marc Daffner.
The jury found Shetler guilty of two lesser charges in connection with stealing a truck as he attempted to flee the scene of the shooting in New Florence and swam across the Conemaugh River.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio ordered Shetler remain in jail until he is able to post $100,000 bail that continues keeps him in custody for the theft and receiving stolen property convictions.
The judge said Shetler could be sentenced up to seven years in prison.
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