Three police officers killed in York County ambush linked to domestic violence call

The officers' actions saved the lives of the mother and daughter at the scene, officials said. Photo / 123rf

The gunman who killed three police officers and injured two others yesterday while the officers were responding to a domestic violence call had been accused of stalking a former partner in the weeks before the shooting, officials said.

Matthew Ruth, 24, ambushed the officers when they arrived at a York County home where his ex-girlfriend’s mother reported that he was looking in with binoculars the night before, according to officials and court documents. Ruth was killed in the exchange of gunfire.

The officers who died were identified as Detective Sergeant Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser of the Northern York County Regional Police Department.

Officials released new information about the case today, saying it started as an “incident of domestic violence” and spiralled into a shooting.

Law enforcement officers had been trying to arrest Ruth on charges of stalking, loitering and trespassing when he opened fire with an AR-style rifle with a suppressor, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said at a news conference.

While officials are still investigating Ruth’s motives, one was clear, Barker said: “The hateful scourge of domestic violence – that is what brought us here”.

Barker stressed that the new details were early findings, based on reviews of ballistics, body-camera and dash camera video, and the location of the slain officers at the scene.

The officers’ actions saved the lives of the mother and daughter who lived at the home, Barker said.

“All actions by law enforcement were justified,” he said. “They weren’t only justified, they were necessary.”

Investigators later discovered that Ruth had fatally shot his ex-girlfriend’s dog, Barker said. The black lab’s body was found in the basement of the home.

Outside the house today, a pool of thick blood stained the road. Yellow police tape cordoned off a clearing in a nearby cornfield.

Pennsylvania State Police took over responding to emergency calls for Northern York County police, giving the department some reprieve after the shooting, authorities said. Local police will resume patrols tomorrow.

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