Fire captain sentenced to jail in shooting death of junior firefighter

Fire captain sentenced to jail in shooting death of junior firefighter
Updated: September 29, 2017 - 11:38 AM
A Fayette County fire captain charged for shooting and killing a junior firefighter in November 2016 was sentenced to jail Friday.

REDSTONE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — George Matis Jr. pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in July. He was sentenced to six to 23 months in jail and will also have to pay restitution.

Parker Hess, 16, died inside the Republic Volunteer Fire Department last November.
His family is not happy about the sentence. They think the fire captain should spend more time behind bars. 

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"My son will never have justice," Heather Hess said. 
"I think a charge of criminal homicide followed through, instead of a slap on the wrist."
Hess' family told Channel 11 they believe he wasn't charged with homicide because he has a relative who works in the District Attorney's Office.
Channel 11 took that concern right to the district attorney himself, who said that relative was never involved in the case or asked for leniency.
He also said Matis pleaded to the involuntary manslaughter because his office looked at the facts and felt that was the appropriate charge. 

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"I find it reprehensible to make that allegation, when there's no basis for that," he said in a statement.
"I think he is not remorseful," Sharon Hess, the victim's grandmother, said. "I honestly feel he's not sorry for shooting my grandson."

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Investigators told Channel 11 the two were friends.
Matis removed a 9 mm pistol from a holster he was wearing and it discharged in Hess’ direction, according to a criminal complaint.
Hess was a sophomore at Brownsville Area High School.
 

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