Pa. man charged in half brother's shooting death

DUNCANSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - April 12, 2009 Police say 26-year-old John Joseph Purcell III, of Lancaster County, was shot in the head just before midnight Friday in Blair County. They say he was hit by a bullet after trying to grab a pistol from his half brother, 22-year-old Brandon Ott, during the altercation at Ott's home in Allegheny Township.

State police at Hollidaysburg say that Ott went to his room during the argument and came back with a pistol and a can of pepper spray. Police say he used the spray on Purcell, who grabbed the handgun, and it went off./p>

Ott faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person and was taken to Blair County Prison in lieu of $200,000 cash bail following arraignment. Ott remains in custody and it was unclear whether he had an attorney./p>

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Information from: Altoona Mirror, http://www.altoonamirror.com /p>

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