Eric Ruch, Jr., a former Philadelphia police officer who was convicted of killing an unarmed man in 2017, was released from prison on Tuesday after serving less than a year behind bars.
In November, Ruch Jr., 35, was sentenced to 11-and-a-half to 23 months in prison after he was found guilty in the shooting death of Dennis Plowden, an unarmed man, following a police chase.
Ruch Jr. who was on-duty at the time of the killing, was the first Philadelphia police officer to be convicted for a death of a civilian in the city’s history.
According to court documents, following a chase that ended in a vehicle crash in 2017, Ruch Jr. shot Plowden in the head, "within six to eight seconds of arriving at the scene" on the evening of the slaying.
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As revealed in court, Plowden was seated on the ground, with his left hand raised -- still dazed from a crash -- when Ruch Jr. shot him to death.
The former officer claimed he believed Plowden had a gun and would have shot him.
Following Ruch Jr.'s sentencing, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner asked the court to re-consider, calling the months-long penalty "far below state sentencing guidelines."
