Officials on Thursday identified the three police officers who were killed in an ambush while responding to a domestic call Wednesday in York County, Pennsylvania.
The deceased were Sgt. Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker, and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser from the Northern York County Regional Police Department, as announced by York County District Attorney Tim Barker.
Another Northern York County Regional Police detective and a York County Sheriff’s Office deputy were critically wounded but are stable in the hospital, Barker reported.
The suspected gunman, identified as Matthew James Ruth, 24, was killed by police, officials said. He did not have any prior criminal convictions.
“He saved many lives that day,” Barker emphasized. “If the actor was not eliminated and his threat and murderous rampage ended, no one knows where this could have stopped.”
Before the shooting, Ruth faced charges including stalking, trespassing, loitering, and prowling at night, according to court documents.
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Pennsylvania State Police are assisting local authorities, with Attorney General Pam Bondi extending the full support of the federal government.
A police officer is loaded into a Medevac helicopter after a shooting incident in York County, Pennsylvania’s North Codorus Township, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Harrison Jones/USA Today Network via Reuters)
The shooting, which took place about 115 miles west of Philadelphia in North Codorus Township, came just a few months after another York County officer was killed in the line of duty.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a news conference Wednesday he is continuing to pray for everyone involved.
“This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day for your county and for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “[We] grieve for the loss of life of the 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.”
