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Alleged gunman in Pennsylvania officer shootout had been sought for stalking Alleged gunman in Pennsylvania officer shootout had been sought for stalking
(about 7 hours later)
Matthew James Ruth, 24, killed in altercation that left three officers dead and wounded two moreMatthew James Ruth, 24, killed in altercation that left three officers dead and wounded two more
The alleged gunman who killed three officers and wounded two more in southern Pennsylvania before he was killed by police was a 24-year-old being sought on stalking charges, according to court documents and law enforcement.The alleged gunman who killed three officers and wounded two more in southern Pennsylvania before he was killed by police was a 24-year-old being sought on stalking charges, according to court documents and law enforcement.
The violence erupted in rural York county on Wednesday as officers sought Matthew James Ruth, who had also been charged with trespassing, loitering and prowling at night in a domestic-related investigation that began a day earlier, court documents show. The violence erupted in rural York county as officers sought Matthew James Ruth, who had also been charged with trespassing, loitering and prowling at night in a domestic-related investigation that began a day earlier, court documents show.
Details on the domestic situation that led police to the farm were expected to emerge on Thursday. The two injured officers remained in stable condition in the hospital. Details on the domestic situation that led police to the farm began to emerge on Thursday. In addition to the three officers killed, two were injured while trying to execute a warrant related to domestic violence charges.
A few doors down and across the street from Ruth’s home outside Hanover, neighbor Rose Miller said investigators arrived in two waves on Wednesday, first around noon and again at about 5pm. The gunman, according to York county district attorney Timothy Barker, fired an AR-15-style rifle from inside the home of his ex-girlfriend, killing the three detectives as they attempted to enter the unlocked front door of the residence.
Miller said she did not know Ruth well but remembered him selling for fundraisers for the Boy Scouts. She said police removed items in bags from the house before leaving after midnight. No one answered the door at the Ruth home on Thursday. The officers were identified as Det Sgt Cody Becker, Det Mark Baker, and Det Isaiah Emenheiser. They were leaders in the Northern York County Regional Police Department, according to police chief David Lash.
A law enforcement official who confirmed that Ruth was the shooting suspect spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. “Each of these men represented the very best of policing – they served with professionalism, dedication, and courage,” Lash said at a news conference.
Families of the officers in York county, and the community at large in the rolling farmland of southern Pennsylvania, were left to grieve and search for answers a day later. The two injured officers were in stable condition in the hospital.
The chain of events that led up to the shootings appears to have begun late on Tuesday when the suspected gunman was spotted loitering in the driveway of a former girlfriend, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police arrived at the home at about 11.30pm after the owner spotted a man wearing camouflage with binoculars looking through the window, according to the court documents.
Officers said they saw an AR-15 style rifle slung across the man’s chest in photos obtained from a trail camera. The homeowner’s daughter told police it was Ruth, a former boyfriend she “only dated for a short period of time” and who had never visited their house.
“Over the next several hours, officers attempted to locate Ruth in the area, but were unsuccessful,” the officers said in the affidavit.
The daughter told police she suspected Ruth set her pickup truck on fire while it sat in her driveway in August. On Monday, a fire investigator determined the fire was set intentionally.
As a result, Ruth was charged with misdemeanor stalking, misdemeanor prowling at nighttime, and summary criminal trespass. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and officers were visiting the home when they were ambushed by a gunman believed to be Ruth.
“We need to do better as a society,” the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, said. “We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon, is the answer to resolving disputes.”“We need to do better as a society,” the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, said. “We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon, is the answer to resolving disputes.”
Wednesday was one of the state’s deadliest days for law enforcement this century, matching the toll from a day in 2009 when three officers were ambushed by a domestic violence suspect sporting a bulletproof vest.
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As news of the tragedy spread, community members held American flags and saluted as police and emergency vehicles formed a procession to the coroner’s office. Police departments across the region mourned their colleagues on social media, while people left flowers at the headquarters of the Northern York County regional police department. Wednesday was one of the state’s deadliest days for law enforcement this century, matching the toll from a day in 2009 when three officers were ambushed by a domestic violence suspect sporting a bulletproof vest.
As news of the tragedy spread, community members held American flags and saluted as police and emergency vehicles formed a procession to the coroner’s office. Police departments across the region mourned their colleagues on social media, while people left flowers at police headquarters.
The US attorney general, Pamela Bondi, called violence against police “a scourge on our society”.The US attorney general, Pamela Bondi, called violence against police “a scourge on our society”.
The confrontation unfolded on a rural road in south-central Pennsylvania, not far from Maryland. Neighbor Dirk Anderson heard “quite a few” shots from his home across the street and wondered what was happening. Then he saw a helicopter and police arrive. The confrontation unfolded on a rural road in south-central Pennsylvania, not far from Maryland. Neighbor Dirk Anderson said he heard “quite a few” shots from his home across the street and wondered what was happening. Then he saw a helicopter and police arrive.
Some 30 police vehicles blocked off roads bordered by a barn, a goat farm and soybean and corn fields. The area, North Codorus township, sits about 115 miles (185km) west of Philadelphia.Some 30 police vehicles blocked off roads bordered by a barn, a goat farm and soybean and corn fields. The area, North Codorus township, sits about 115 miles (185km) west of Philadelphia.
Another officer was killed in York county in February, when a man armed with a pistol and zip ties entered a hospital’s intensive care unit and took staff members hostage before a shootout that left both the man and an officer dead.Another officer was killed in York county in February, when a man armed with a pistol and zip ties entered a hospital’s intensive care unit and took staff members hostage before a shootout that left both the man and an officer dead.