Ex-Philly Cop Sentenced to Less Than 2 Years in Jail for Killing Unarmed Black Man

A former Philadelphia police officer was sentenced to less than two years behind bars for shooting and killing an unarmed man in 2017.

Ex-officer Eric Ruch Jr. was sentenced Thursday morning to 11-and-a-half to 23 months in prison after he was found guilty in the shooting death of Dennis Plowden, an unarmed Black man, two months ago.

NBC10's Frances Wang was inside the Center City courtroom as the sentencing was read shortly after noon. She reported the reaction from both sides was that Ruch got off easy. Ruch's family seemed relieved. Plowden's family, however, said they were extremely disappointed and outraged, but not surprised, at the lack of time Ruch will serve.

"No, we are not happy about the results," Plowden's widow, Tania Bond, said. "But as a family we are trying to move on and heal."

Ruch Jr. was the first Philadelphia police officer to be convicted for a death of a civilian in the city’s history.

But during the sentencing, Common Pleas Court Judge Barbara McDermott said Ruch had demonstrated good behavior since he was charged and a longer sentence would not offer him any rehabilitation. The sentence also includes parole eligibility and carries no financial penalties.

"Nothing he is going to do in prison is going to make him a better person,” McDermott said.

On Sept. 20, Ruch Jr. was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for Plowden's death in 2017. He was found not guilty of another charge, third-degree murder, by the jury in a trial that lasted eight days in Common Pleas Court in Center City. Ruch was also convicted of possession of an instrument of crime.

Ruch's bail was revoked and he has remained jailed awaiting sentencing.

In 2020, a Philly grand jury recommended four criminal charges, including first-degree murder, for Ruch Jr., who is the officer alleged to have shot and killed Plowden, an unarmed Black man. The first-degree charge was later thrown out.

Ruch Jr., now 34, was fired months after the Dec. 27, 2017, shooting. According to details released following the grand jury investigation, Plowden, 25, was dazed, sitting on the ground after a crash from a high-speed chase through a city neighborhood, and raising his left hand when Ruch fired his service weapon at Plowden's head.

Plowden was driving a car initially thought to be linked to a recent homicide. But authorities said that he was not involved in that case. Ruch was on the scene six seconds before fatally wounding Plowden.

Plowden died the next day at a hospital. Prior to his conviction, Ruch was free on $500,000 bail since 2020.

Ruch offered prayers and condolences to the Plowden family following impact statements from both sides.

"I don't think you're sorry when you're not taking responsibility," Plowden's sister, Diamond Plowden said. "If you're truly sorry you need to own your mistake. He did not do that."

The Philadelphia District Attorney's office has 30 days to appeal the sentence. District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Roh released a statement on Thursday's sentencing.

"According to guidelines from the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission, the standard range for a defendant with no prior convictions, and who is convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter where a deadly weapon was used, is a minimum of 54 months and a maximum of 72 months," she wrote. “When the minimum sentence of incarceration is 54 months, Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission recommendations allow judges to sentence defendants up to 12 months lower than the minimum. According to these guidelines, a fully mitigated recommended sentence for Eric Ruch would be a minimum 42-month sentence. Today, Court of Common Pleas Judge Barbara McDermott sentenced Ruch to 11½ to 23 months incarceration and ordered him eligible for reentry. For the crime of Voluntary Manslaughter with a deadly weapon, this sentence falls far below state guidelines."