A suspect has been arrested in an airport parking garage shooting that killed a Philadelphia police officer and injured another last week, authorities said. Police have scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference to release more information.
Authorities said the two officers had just arrived at work at about 11 p.m. Thursday when they heard breaking glass and saw several people breaking into a car in the parking lot at Philadelphia International Airport. A confrontation ensued, and the two officers and one of the suspects were shot.
Fifty-year-old Officer Richard Mendez, who had been on the force for more than two decades, was shot four times and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Officer Raul Ortiz, a 20-year veteran of the force, was shot once in his arm and was released from the hospital Saturday.
Authorities said the suspects fled in an SUV reported stolen a week ago that was later seen at a hospital dropping off 18-year-old Jesus Herman Madera Duran, who authorities said was believed to be involved in the confrontation with the officers. Duran had been shot in the chest, abdomen and left arm and was pronounced dead around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
It was unclear if any other suspects were wounded in the shooting or how many of them fired weapons, authorities said. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford noted that the shooting came only a week after three officers were shot and wounded while responding to a call and called the new shooting “a numb, numb moment for us.”
The slain officer’s gun had not been located at the time and it wasn’t immediately known whether anyone fired it, Stanford said. Police released video showing “at least one suspect,” as well as the vehicle used to drop off Madera Duran at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
A reward totaling at least $184,500 was offered for information leading to an arrest after the $30,000 posted by two local police unions was supplemented by money from other police groups, businesses, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents. That’s in addition to $20,000 offered by the city for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
