Ray Shetler Jr. has been sentenced to serve two-and-a-half to five years in state prison for his probation violation related to the 2015 shooting death of Saint Clair Township Police Officer Lloyd Reed Jr. With credit for time already served, he will be eligible for parole in 78 days, counting from Friday’s sentencing by Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio.
The 39-year-old Shetler was found not guilty of murdering Reed but guilty of charges related to his attempt to escape police after he shot Reed to death outside his New Florence home. Reed had responded to a reported domestic dispute at the home.
Shetler failed to show up for a probation hearing in 2021 and was later located at a mobile home outside of Seward. He resisted arrest and brawled with sheriff’s deputies and state police. He was found guilty last October of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and disarming a police officer. In January, he was ordered to serve one to two years in prison, but was given credit for time served and was immediately eligible for parole.
Shetler will be transferred from the Westmoreland County Prison to state prison, and his case will become eligible for review by the state prison and parole board in late May.
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