Former Philadelphia Police Officer Eric Ruch Jr. was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime after the December 27, 2017 fatal shooting of Dennis Plowden Jr. in Philadelphia. The case followed a police pursuit, a crash, and a shooting that prosecutors and court records said occurred while Plowden was unarmed and seated on a sidewalk with his left hand raised.
Incident Reported
According to a Pennsylvania Superior Court decision, the case arose from the December 27, 2017 fatal shooting of Dennis Plowden by Eric Ruch, who was a Philadelphia police officer at the time. The court summarized that the shooting followed a high-speed chase and that Plowden’s vehicle had collided at a high rate of speed with several parked cars before the shooting. The decision stated that Ruch shot Plowden, who was unarmed, in the left side of the head through Plowden’s raised left hand while Plowden was sitting on the sidewalk. Read the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision.
WHYY reported that Ruch and Plowden crossed paths after Ruch, from an unmarked police vehicle, asked dispatch to run the tag on a white Hyundai Plowden was driving. WHYY reported that Plowden briefly pulled over, then drove off, striking the open door of a second unmarked police car, and that two unmarked cars and two marked cars pursued him until he crashed. Read WHYY’s 2020 report.
Allegations and Prosecutors’ Account
Prosecutors alleged that Plowden was unarmed and surrendering when Ruch fired. In a statement after sentencing, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Ruch shot and killed Plowden “through his raised left hand, and into the head,” while Plowden was seated on a sidewalk, surrendering, and unarmed. Read the Philadelphia District Attorney’s statement.
WHYY reported that prosecutors said Ruch fired within six to eight seconds of arriving at the scene and that no other officer on the scene fired a weapon. WHYY also reported that prosecutors said it was “indisputable” Plowden did not have a gun or other weapon that night. Read WHYY’s 2020 report.
Defense Position
During trial reporting by WHYY and the Associated Press, defense attorney David Mischak argued that jurors should consider the two-minute chase before the shooting and said Plowden’s right hand remained hidden near a pocket. The defense said Ruch later learned Plowden was unarmed. Read WHYY/AP trial coverage.
Charges
According to the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision, Ruch was charged in 2020 with third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and possession of an instrument of crime. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said Ruch was arrested and charged on October 9, 2020, following a presentment to the 30th County Investigating Grand Jury. Read the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision and read the District Attorney’s statement.
Conviction and Sentencing
On September 21, 2022, after an eight-day jury trial, Ruch was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime. He was found guilty in connection with the killing of Dennis Plowden, who was unarmed after a vehicular pursuit on December 27, 2017. Read the Citizens Police Oversight Commission conviction statement.
On November 17, 2022, the Court of Common Pleas sentenced Ruch to 11½ to 23 months of incarceration for voluntary manslaughter and imposed no further penalty for possession of an instrument of crime, according to the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision. The District Attorney’s Office criticized the sentence as far below state sentencing guideline ranges. Read the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision and read the District Attorney’s sentencing statement.
Appeal Status
Both Ruch and the Commonwealth appealed. In a decision filed August 28, 2024, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed Ruch’s judgment of sentence in its entirety. Read the Pennsylvania Superior Court decision.
Lawsuit and Settlement
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the City of Philadelphia agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Tania Bond, Dennis Plowden’s widow. The lawsuit alleged that the Police Department ignored Ruch’s “history of unconstitutional conduct” and failed to discipline or fire him before Plowden was killed. The Inquirer reported that the settlement did not include an admission of wrongdoing. Read The Philadelphia Inquirer’s report.
Official Statements and Department Action
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office stated that on June 12, 2018, the Philadelphia Police Department notified Ruch that he was suspended for 30 days with intent to dismiss for disobedience related to discharging, using, displaying, or improperly handling a firearm contrary to department policy. WHYY/AP trial coverage reported that Ruch was fired about 10 months after the Plowden shooting. Read the District Attorney’s statement and read WHYY/AP trial coverage.
The Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission said after sentencing that criminal trials like Ruch’s were extremely rare in Philadelphia and described his trial as the first murder trial against a Philadelphia police officer in nearly 40 years. Read the Citizens Police Oversight Commission sentencing statement.
Uncorroborated Claims
No separate uncorroborated claims are included in this story. The account above is based on court records, official statements, and attributed news reporting. Allegations from the civil lawsuit are identified as lawsuit allegations, and the settlement is identified as having no admission of wrongdoing.
