At trial, Shetler alleges police violence during his arrest

Oct. 6—GREENSBURG, Pa. — Ray Allen Shetler accused police officers of brutally beating him in the process of executing a warrant for his arrest as retaliation for when he fatally shot St. Clair Township police Officer Lloyd Reed Jr., an action for which he was charged with murder and found not guilty.

Members of the Westmoreland County Sheriff's Department and Pennsylvania State Police apprehended Shetler on Dec. 7, 2021, when he was hiding in a 10-foot-by-12-foot bedroom of a friend's trailer in St. Clair Township.

Shetler is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disarming a law enforcement officer stemming from the incident.

Several officers testified over two days, accusing the defendant of refusing to comply with orders and being physically violent toward them, including Sgt. Irvin Shipley, from the sheriff's department, who suffered injuries to his head, hand and shoulder.

Shetler contradicted their versions of events during his testimony in front of Westmoreland County Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio on Thursday.

Shetler said he heard vehicles driving on the gravel outside the trailer, which led to his girlfriend, Keeley Shay Morgan, looking out the window and then leaving the room. He then "wedged" himself between a futon and the wall, covering himself in blankets, as he described his position when the police entered the room. Officers discovered Shetler and then, according to his version, immediately started beating him.

When asked if he fought with the officers, Shetler said "absolutely not" and stated that he repeatedly yelled "please help me." He also answered "absolutely" and "correct" when asked during cross-examination if the officers lied in their accounts of events.

During the altercation, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jake Goga discharged a Taser.

Goga said Shetler was fighting with Shipley and PSP Trooper Dylan Toy and that the accused's hand was not visible, which was "very alarming to me." Goga told the jury that he called out "Taser, Taser, Taser." Goga said Shetler was approximately four feet away, but then "lunged" toward him.

"It caused the Taser to become ineffective," Goga said.

One of the probes struck Shetler in his eye, which resulted in him losing sight after it could not be surgically repaired. He displayed his injured eye to the jury.

Shetler gave a different version of the incident, saying the officer, who he did not name, put the Taser by his head and told him, "This is for Reed," before firing.

Shetler said he was also hit with a flashlight, punched, kicked and kneed in the testicles.

He was the third person taken by ambulance from the scene, following Kenneth Krouse, the trailer's owner who had chest pains and a cardiac history, and Shipley. Shetler alleged that the police told the medical personnel to not treat him and that he heard one officer he knew say, "Bleed out, Shetler."

The jury was shown multiple pictures of the bloody injuries to his face and back.

Multiple officers testified they considered the warrant to be "high-risk" because of Shetler previously killing Reed.

He was on probation after being found guilty of counts related to the theft of a truck after the fatal shooting. The warrant was issued for Shetler's arrest on Dec. 3 after he failed a drug test and then did not show up for a probation hearing.

Shetler testified that he went "incognito," hiding in the woods in the time between the warrant being issued and his arrest.

He claimed that he contacted a probation officer and planned to surrender the day after the officers found him, but that he wanted to spend time with his girlfriend before going away, so he went to Krouse's trailer, where she was staying.

Officers previously came to the residence looking for him after the warrant was issued. They then returned on the night of Dec. 7, and found Shetler.

"I did not know Ray was in there," said Krouse, who faces a charge of hindering apprehension.

Krouse said he was in his shed for a while, then came inside the trailer and was getting ready for bed when the police arrived. Shetler said he saw Krouse go to the shed, snuck into the trailer and then went to the bedroom and closed the door. He told the court that Krouse was unaware of his presence.

Officers said Krouse told them that Shetler was not present before they entered.

Krouse alleged that a police officer struck him in the face while he was handcuffed.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday. Jury deliberations will follow.