October 13, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A Philadelphia Police officer was killed and another was wounded during a shooting at the Terminal D parking garage at the Philadelphia International Airport late Thursday night, police say.
Update (7:59 p.m.): Philadelphia Police have identified Richard Mendez, 60, as the officer who was killed in Thursday night's shooting inside a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport.
Mendez, a 22-year-old veteran of the department, was fatally shot when he and his partner, 60-year-old Raul Ortiz, confronted a group of suspects who were attempting to break in to a car, police said. Ortiz was shot once in the arm and is now recovering from his injuries.
On Friday, police released surveillance video of at least one suspect linked to a Dodge Durango that was seen stopping at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia a short time after it left the scene of the shooting. The vehicle dropped off 18-year-old Jesus Duran, who died at the hospital. Duran is believed to have been involved in the confrontation with Mendez and Ortiz, police said.
Authorities are now searching for multiple suspects in the shooting. A reward of $148,500 is available for information leading to arrests.
The original story is below.
A Philadelphia police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shooting that occurred in a parking garage at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday night, police said.
The shooting took place just after 11 p.m. in the Terminal D parking garage. The two off-duty officers were arriving to work at the airport when they observed multiple people breaking into a vehicle in the garage, interim Police Commissioner John Stanford told reporters during a news briefing. When the officers attempted to investigate, the suspects opened fire.
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The officer who was fatally struck was a 50-year-old father who had been on the force for 22 years, Stanford said. His name has not been released. He was shot multiple times in the upper torso and died at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center at 11:34 p.m., police said.
The other officer, a 60-year-old man with 20 years on the force, was struck in the arm and was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
A person who fit the description of one of the suspects was taken by a private vehicle, described as a Dodge Durango, to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia near the time of the shooting, Stanford said. That person was pronounced dead at CHOP, but police have not confirmed whether the person was involved in the shooting, he said.
At the time of the shooting, one of the officers was in full uniform and the other was in partial uniform, according to Stanford. Authorities have not yet determined whether the officers returned fire.
The investigation is ongoing. Police are trying to gain more information on the people involved in the shooting. The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and the Delco FOP Lodge 27 are offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information can call or text (215) 686-8477.
"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," District Attorney Larry Krasner said Friday morning.
Mayor Jim Kenney said he was "heartbroken" by the shooting in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"My thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time, and I pray for the second officer's swift recovery," Kenney said.
The airport temporarily closed Terminal D and the Terminal D parking garage due to the police investigation. The terminal reopened just after 12:30 a.m. Friday. All levels of the Terminal D parking garage reopened after 7 a.m.
Thursday's shooting comes about a week after three officers were shot while responding to a domestic violence call in Rhawnhurst.
"Anger, devastation and heartbreak are the emotions," Stanford wrote in a post on X. "One officer gave his life tonight and one is recovering. Please wrap your arms and prayers around their families and our department. We will continue our search for those responsible and won't stop until all are in custody!"
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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