Accused Cop-Killer Ordered To Stand Trial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A man accused of fatally shooting a St. Clair Township police officer will stand trial.
Ray Shetler Jr., 31, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning.
When Shetler arrived to court in Ligonier for a preliminary hearing, he was asked whether he was sorry.
"Yes I am, of course I am," he said.
Then inside the doorway said this: "Everybody in Ligonier knows I wouldn't do a thing like this."
Last month, Shetler allegedly confronted Officer Lloyd Reed outside of a home in New Florence while holding a .270-caliber rifle.
Officer Reed initially responded to the home for a domestic violence incident.
When he arrived, he instructed Shetler to drop the weapon several times. However, Shetler allegedly fired three rounds from close range, which struck Officer Reed in the chest.
"He knows many officers in the area," said defense attorney Marc Daffner. "He's been a friend of law enforcement and this is just really devestating to him as the one trooper testified Mr. Shetler indicated that if he had known it was an officer he probably would have killed himself."
But prosecutors say Shetler knew he shot an officer. District Judge Denise Thiel heard the 911 call from Luther's girlfriend Kristin Luther from her New Florence home that set the wheels in motion for tragedy.
His girlfriend was overheard on the police radio, saying hysterically, "An officer is shot, please help. Oh my God, are you okay? Please breathe."
Dispatcher: "Hello?"
Kristin Luther: "Hi. I need the state police here."
Dispatcher: "Mam what's going on?"
Kristin Luther: "My boyfriend just assaulted me."
Ray Shetler: (Unintelligible) "She assaulted me too."
Kristin Luther: "I'm still trying to get him out of my house right now."
Dispatcher: "Ok calm down what's your address?"
Eventually backup officer Justin Dickert arrived just as
St Clair Township Officer Lloyd Reed was telling Ray Shetler to put his gun down, then he heard gunfire.
And on the phone the dispatcher heard Kristin Luther's reaction.
Kristin Luther: "Oh my God!"
Dispatcher : "I can't hear her she's screaming that's all I got."
Kristin Luther: "Please send an ambulance the officer's shot. Oh my God!"
Reed died of a gunshot blast to the chest.
Eventually Shetler was found hiding near a fence of a local power plant. Prosecutors say he tried to take a company vehicle to escape but the vehicle got caught in railroad tracks.
Shetler is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison and is charged with criminal homicide.
