Man accused of killing St. Clair officer facing additional charges

NEW FLORENCE, Pa. — A man jailed on charges he fatally shot a western Pennsylvania police officer has been charged in a related domestic dispute and with stealing a vehicle while he eluded police for hours afterward.

State police filed the new charges Wednesday against 31-year-old Ray Shetler Jr. Shetler was arrested on Nov. 29, ending a six-hour manhunt following the shooting of St. Clair Township Office Lloyd Reed.

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The 54-year-old officer was the first to arrive when Shetler's girlfriend called 911 to report he assaulted her. That reported assault resulted in the additional charges of simple assault, harassment and making terroristic threats.

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Westmoreland County authorities say Shetler exited the New Florence house with a rifle and shot Lloyd, who fired at Shetler after he refused to drop the gun.

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The second set of new charges, including theft and receiving stolen property, come from the morning of Nov. 29 when police spent six hours searching for him.

Investigators released new details Wednesday, saying Shetler stole a Ford F-150 belonging to Conemaugh Generating Plant in hopes of getting away.

In court paperwork obtained by Channel 11, the head of security for the power plant said he noticed the truck stuck on the train tracks at the intersection of Power Plant and Pump House roads.

Shetler confessed to police that he took the truck and thought it ran out of gas, according to the court paperwork. Police caught him a short time later.

Authorities said Friday's preliminary hearing on the homicide charge will be rescheduled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WPXI