A police officer was charged Tuesday with criminal homicide after investigators concluded she shot an unarmed motorist in the back as he lay facedown after a traffic stop over an expired inspection sticker . Authorities accused Hummelstown police Officer Lisa J. Mearkle of shooting David Kassick , 59 , twice February 2 without legal justification . She was jailed without bail . They said Mearkle had attempted to pull over Kassick for expired inspection and emissions stickers before he sped away . She caught up to Kassick near his sister 's home , where he got out and ran . She had incapacitated him with a stun gun and he was on the ground when she shot him twice in the back , police said . Scroll down for video . An officer in handcuffs : Hummelstown police Officer Lisa J Mearkle was charged Tuesday with criminal homicide in the February 2 shooting death of David Kassick , 59 . Mearkle pictured above ( center ) before her court hearing on Tuesday . Necessary ? Prosecutors say Mearkle shot dead Kassick when he was lying facedown on the ground and did n't present any danger . She has contested that she saw him reach into his jacket - possibly for a weapon . However , he was unarmed . Pictured above leaving court on Tuesday in handcuffs . Mearkle was later released on $ 250,000 bond and will have to wear an ankle monitoring device . Victim : Last month , one of Kassick 's ( pictured ) brothers said he had struggled with drug addition but was not the type to get into a fight - especially with a police officer . He was working as a construction worker at the time of his death last month . Before the shooting : Mearkle above pictured in her Hummelstown , Pennsylvania police uniform . Mearkle , 36 , told investigators she shot because he would not show her his hands and she thought he was reaching into his jacket for a gun . The stun gun recorded portions of the encounter , and District Attorney Ed Marsico called it the strongest evidence in the case . He said it appeared Kassick had been trying to remove stun-gun probes from his back . 'At the time Officer Mearkle fires both rounds from her pistol , the video clearly depicts Kassick lying on the snow covered lawn with his face toward the ground , ' according to the arrest affidavit . 'Furthermore , at the time the rounds are fired nothing can be seen in either of Kassick 's hands , nor does he point or direct anything toward Officer Mearkle . ' Marsico said Mearkle performed CPR after the shooting . He called the shooting ' a tragedy for all involved . ' In the wake of Tuesday 's announcement , Kassick 's younger brother Dale Kassick spoke out , saying : 'Nothing is going to bring my brother back . He should have never lost his life over a traffic stop . ' However , Dale said he and the rest of his family were thankful for the community 's support in the past month and the prompt filing of charges . 'It 's not being swept under the rug , it 's not being forgotten about , ' Dale said . Last month , Kassick 's older brother Dan said his brother had struggled with drug addition in his life . However , he said the construction worker was not the type to get into a fight - especially with a police officer . Scene : Above , a picture of the area where Kassick was shot on February 2 , with police investigating . Serious allegations : Mearkle pictured above entered court on Tuesday , before the arraignment . The DA said a syringe was found near Kassick 's body , and he had alcohol and unspecified drugs in his system when he died . Mearkle 's lawyer did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment , nor did Hummelstown Chief Charles M. Dowell . The police department issued a news release that said it had cooperated fully , calling the matter 'an extremely difficult case for all involved . ' 'We are servants of justice and must now allow the judicial process to conduct a fair and impartial review of the allegations that have been presented , ' the news release stated . The offense of criminal homicide encompasses a range of charges , from misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter to felony first-degree murder . Prosecutors often narrow the charge later in the process , about the time when defendants are formally arraigned . Mearkle was released this afternoon on $ 250,000 bond and will have to wear an ankle monitoring device at home . Important announcement : Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Mrisco announced the charges against Mearkle at an afternoon press conference on Tuesday .
Hummelstown , Pennsylvania police Officer Lisa J Mearkle charged with criminal homicide on Tuesday . Prosecutors say she shot dead 59-year-old David Kassick in the back while he was laying facedown on the ground and did not present a threat . Mearkle tried pulling Kassick over for an expired inspection sticker on February 2 but he took off . He eventually exited his car and ran before being ordered onto the ground by Mearkle - who she shot with a stun gun . While she was trying to remove the taser stickers , Mearkle says she thought she saw Kassick reach into his jacket for a gun and she shot . Kassick was unarmed ; his family say he struggled with addiction but was non-violent .