As a reward for information increases, police have recovered a vehicle that, police believe, may be tied to Friday’s shooting death of Officer Richard Mendez. NBC10’s Brenna Weick has the story.
What to Know
- Officer Richard Mendez, 50, was shot and killed and Officer Raúl Ortíz, 60, was injured as they tried to stop car thefts at a Philadelphia International Airport parking garage late Thursday night, investigators said.
- The shooting took place as the officers arrived for their shifts, police said.
- Police released video of one of the suspects in the shooting being dropped off at the hospital. That suspect, 18-year-old Jesús Hernán Madera Durán of Camden, NJ, was later pronounced dead. Police continue to search for more suspects.
A Philadelphia police officer was killed and a second officer was injured in a shooting inside a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport late Thursday night, officials said.
Officer Richard Mendez, 50, and Officer Raúl Ortíz, 60, both assigned to the Airport Unit, arrived at a parking garage to clock in for their shifts shortly after 11 p.m., according to investigators.
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One of the officers was in full uniform at the time while the other officer was in partial uniform.
As they exited their vehicles, the officers heard the sound of glass breaking and then spotted a group of people breaking into another car inside the parking garage, according to investigators. As the officers approached them, at least three people in the group pulled out guns and opened fire, police said.
Officer Mendez was shot multiple times in the upper torso while Officer Ortíz was shot at least once in the arm, police said.
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Both officers were initially taken to Methodist Hospital. Officer Mendez was then transported to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 11:34 p.m. Officer Ortíz was taken to Jefferson University Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
Ortiz was released from the hospital at about 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Officer Mendez served in the department for 22 years and worked in the 25th District before moving to the Airport Unit. He is survived by a wife and daughter who were both at the hospital after the shooting.
"As you can imagine, heartbroken, devastated, that their family member is not coming home tonight," Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford said.
Officer Ortíz is a 20-year veteran of the department.
Investigators are working to determine if the two officers returned fire during the shooting.
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The latest on the investigation
During a Friday afternoon press conference, 1st Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore revealed new details on the suspects involved in the shooting.
Vanore said at least four suspects fled the shooting in a stolen Dodge Durango. That Durango then dropped off an 18-year-old man, later identified as Jesús Hernán Madera Durán, of Camden, New Jersey, at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Durán was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later at 11:37 p.m.
Vanore said investigators obtained surveillance video showing another person dropping Durán off at the hospital and then fleeing in the Dodge Durango. He also said they believe Durán was involved in the shooting at the airport parking garage.
Police later learned that the Dodge Durango was stolen last week in South Philadelphia and they contacted the vehicle's owner.
Around 1:30 a.m. Friday, police in South Brunswick, New Jersey, responded to a vehicle fire. When they arrived they found the stolen Durango unoccupied and on fire, according to investigators. Police are retrieving the vehicle and bringing it back to Philadelphia to process it for evidence.
Police also said the vehicle had a tracking device or air tag inside of it which they later recovered on I-95 and Academy Road on Friday.
Vanore said there could be up to three additional suspects in the shooting that they're currently looking for. He also said Officer Mendez's gun is missing though police are unsure at this point if the gun was fired during the deadly shooting.
A heavy police presence could be seen at the airport after the shooting. Terminal D was closed at the airport due to the investigation. It was later reopened after midnight.
The parking garage for Terminal D and Terminal E remains closed. One of the parking gates appeared to have been broken off.
A tough month for Philadelphia Police
Thursday night's shooting occurred a little more than a week after three police officers were shot in Northeast Philadelphia.
"You can imagine what we feel," Stanford said. "You can imagine what this department is going through and quite frankly how the city should be feeling to know that this has happened to two of the men that have served for 20 plus years and ultimately one giving his life tonight for the city of Philadelphia."
During the Friday afternoon press conference, Stanford also revealed a Philadelphia police commander died by suicide on Monday while another officer died from a medical emergency on Wednesday.
A procession for Officer Mendez was held around 2:20 a.m., Friday. SkyForce10 was above the scene.
Then just before daybreak Friday, a hearse carrying Officer Mendez's body was taken to a funeral home.
Reward money for an arrest
Late Friday morning, Philadelphia’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and Lodge 27 in Delaware County offered a combined $30,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. That would be in addition to a $20,000 reward that the city has offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Then Friday, the FOP announced the reward money had reached $180,000 thanks to various donations from organizations and businesses, including Chickie's & Pete's, the Bucks County FOP, Temple Police FOP, IBEW Delaware County and the Guardian Civic League.
Saturday morning, FOP president, John McNesby released a statement as the reward increased again to $185,000.
By Saturday evening, the FOP had increased the reward again, this time to $225,000.
“We’re thankful for today’s release of our hero officer, Raul Ortiz and hopeful that he’ll make a full recovery…Like officer Ortiz, we’re all mourning the loss and death of our colleague and friend, officer Richard Mendez. We pray and offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fellow Philadelphia police officers," said McNesby in a statement.
If you have any information on the shooting, please call 911 or 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Remembering 'a hero'
Funeral arrangements for Officer Mendez are pending. Mayor Jim Kenney announced that flags will be flown at half-staff for 30-days in his honor.
“I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Philadelphia Police Officer Richard Mendez. During a time when lax gun laws allow firearms to flood into our streets, our officers face grave danger every day as they carry out their sworn duty to protect our residents. Officer Mendez made the ultimate sacrifice, and on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, I want to thank him and his family for his service and bravery," Kenney wrote in a statement.
“My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and the members of the Philadelphia Police Department during this extremely difficult time. I ask all Philadelphians to keep Officer Mendez and his loved ones in your prayers."
Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge President Joseph Regan was among those grieving.
"We lost a hero today," Regan wrote. "Our deepest condolences go out to the officer’s loved ones during this difficult time. We stand together with the Philadelphia Police Department and FOP Lodge 5 in honoring this hero’s sacrifice and praying for the full recovery of the injured officer."
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner vowed to prosecute those responsible once they are caught:
"Police go to work every day knowing they could at any moment encounter someone who has no business holding a gun, has a gun anyway, and is willing to fire upon others for no reason at all," Krasner said in a prepared statement. "Last week, three Philadelphia Police officers were shot responding to two domestic shootings -- among the most volatile and dangerous situations for officers to walk into. We are thankful that they are recovering, and that the second officer shot last night is expected to survive. We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the officer who was killed last night, and are in close contact with investigators seeking to apprehend the individuals responsible, so they can be held accountable."
Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke said the shooting of the officers "rips at the very fabric of Philadelphia."
"Police officers and first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect us all," Clarke wrote. "When a police officer is shot fatally in the line of duty, the City grieves. We pray for the officer's family and friends, we pray for the recovery of the second officer wounded during the incident, and we promise to never stop working to do everything in our power to reduce gun violence and make Philadelphia a safer place to live and work."
President Joe Biden, who visited Philadelphia on Friday for an event, also spoke about the officers during his speech.
"Before I get started, I want to acknowledge two brave police officers on a serious note who were shot last night," Biden said. "One was killed at the Philadelphia Airport. I talked to the chief and the mayor about this. They put their lives on the line to protect this community. We owe them a debt of gratitude and we're praying for them and for their families today."
Entering Friday, there were 343 homicides in Philadelphia in 2023, according to police data. That's down about 19% from the same time last year, but still on pace to be one of the deadliest years in the city since data began being tabulated.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
