Five police officers were shot, and three of them were killed while serving a warrant at a York County farm Wednesday afternoon, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
NEW | At a Thursday’s news conference, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said the “actor” in the shooting was Matthew J. Ruth. Barker said he would not mention his name again and would only refer to him after that as “the actor.”
The DA identified the officers who were killed as:
- Det. Sgt. Cody Becker
- Det. Isaiah Emenheiser
- Det. Mark Baker
You can watch the full news conference in the video player above.
The DA also talked about the motive for the ambush and broke down how it happened step-by-step. That story is here.
Slain officers all from same department
The Northern York County Regional Police Department says the three slain officers worked for their department. Of the two people who are injured, one of them is also an officer for NYCRPD.
“We ask our community to keep these officers, their families, and their colleagues in your thoughts and prayers during this time of unimaginable grief,” a statement on the departments website said.
The NYRCPD administrative offices are closed. Neighboring departments and state police are providing police services to municipalities typically covered by NYRCPD.
Critical condition
The two law enforcement officials wounded in Wednesday’s shooting remain in critical but stable condition at WellSpan York Hospital.
The suspect, identified by the AP as Matthew James Ruth, is dead. State police said he was shot by law enforcement.
“This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day for York County and for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We grieve for the loss of life and three precious souls who served this county, served this Commonwealth, and served this country. We continue to pray for the full recovery of those who are dealing with their wounds,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
Shapiro pointed out the shooting comes on the heels of another shooting that took the life of a York County officer earlier this year, when Officer Andrew Duarte was killed in the line of duty.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the York County District Attorney’s office are continuing the investigation into the shooting death of three officers and the wounding of two others.
Significant resources from both the PSP and the York County District Attorney’s office are on scene as of 10 p.m., including District Attorney Tim Barker and staff members
The investigation spans multiple locations throughout York County.
It is expected the investigation will continue into the night and early morning hours.
An overview of the investigation will be provided later in the day on Thursday.
The public can be assured there is no ongoing threat to their safety as a result of this incident.
Active investigation
PSP Col. Christopher Paris said they are dealing with a very large and active investigative scene.
“The Pennsylvania State Police has been asked to convene a major case team to conduct the lead in this investigation, with the assistance and in collaboration and in partnership with the York County District Attorney,” Paris said. “I just like to say, on a very personal note, our hearts and prayers go out to them, to the families of the deceased and the families of those officers who were wounded. There are simply no words that I can offer to assuage the grief, that this community has experienced and, unfortunately, will continue to experience. The grief will be unbearable, but we will bear it.”
Paris said state police are assisting Northern York County Regional Police with their calls to support them.
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