The man charged with killing a St. Clair Township police officer in November of 2015 was found not guilty by a jury after 20 hours of deliberations.
Ray Shetler, Jr.was found not guilty on charges of first and third degree murder, but they found him guilty of two charges connected to the theft of a truck from a power plant as he attempted to get away from the scene of the shooting. Shetler was charged with killing Officer Lloyd Reed, Jr., as Reed responded to a domestic violence call at Shetler’s Girlfriend’s home in New Florence.
The defense had argued that Shetler acted in self-defense after he was shot at by Reed. Reed was hit in the chest and died from the gunshot wound.
Shetler was ordered to return to Westmoreland County Jail until he is able to post a $100,000 bond that continues to keep him in custody on the theft and receiving stolen property convictions. He could face seven years in prison on the theft charges.
