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Allegheny County sheriff's deputy Richard Dwyer, 44, could face manslaughter charges if investigators determine that the cocaine in his system at the time of his fatal shooting of a suspect was enough to impair his cognitive abilities.

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An Allegheny County sheriff's deputy had cocaine in his system when he fired at least one of the seven shots that struck and killed Leslie Sapp as members of a U.S. Marshals task force attempted to arrest him Jan. 6 at his home.

The deceased suspect was wanted on charges that he raped a young girl.

But now it is the sheriff's deputy, Richard Dwyer, 44, who could face manslaughter charges if investigators determine that the cocaine in his system at the time of his fatal shooting of a suspect was enough to impair his cognitive abilities, TribLive.com is reporting.

"If an officer is under the influence of drugs and it affects his cognitive skills, and somehow this person is dead because he didn't act properly because of the drugs, that could be involuntary manslaughter," District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. told the website Wednesday.

However, Zappala cautioned that it is unclear how much cocaine was in Dwyer's system or whether he was impaired when he fired his gun.

He stressed that the investigation is still in the early stages and could result in lesser charges or no charges at all. Zappala said his office is overseeing the investigation, which is being headed by Pittsburgh police.

And Zappala added that while Dwyer did not fire the fatal shot, "being hit seven times -- the accumulation of that many hits is fatal."

The Tribune-Review reported that Allegheny Sheriff Bill Mullen terminated Dwyer as a result of the positive drug test. The test was conducted shortly after he and another member of the task force shot Sapp, as is routine after an on-duty shooting.

Prior to this, Dwyer and the other task force member had been assigned administrative duty as a result of the incident.

According to TribLive:

"Detective Dwyer has received formal notice of his termination from Sheriff Mullen for violation of office policies," said sheriff's office solicitor Lisa Michel, who declined to elaborate on the violations.

However, the union representing sheriff's deputies filed a grievance, challenging Dwyer's termination and prompting a hearing on the matter.

Dwyer could not be reached for comment.

This story was updated to more clearly reflect the deputy's employment status.