Gunman Behind Deadly Police Ambush in York County Reporte…

Matthew James Ruth was named as the suspect accused of shooting five police officers in York, P.A., including three fatally.

The York County District Attorney, Tim Barker, and representatives of the Pennsylvania State Police held a joint news conference on September 19 in which they named the three fallen officers: Detective Isaiah Emenheiser, Detective Mark Baker, and Detective Sergeant Cody Becker.

Barker called the press conference an initial “finding of fact” and said the officers died in a “brutal ambush.”

“Matthew J. Ruth, he is the [suspect],” Barker said. He said what occurred began on the evening of September 16 as an incident of “domestic violence.”

Barker called the events “horrific” and stressed the actions of law enforcement were “justified.”

“I don’t lie to my constituents. I never will,” he added. “I will say up front that this is extremely difficult.”

According to Barker, “There was a call that came in from the mother of his ex-girlfriend,” referring to Ruth. “The [suspect] was spotted on her property with binoculars looking through the residence, looking through a window.”

He was described as wearing camouflage, and she could see him “through a trail camera.” The mother said he possibly arrived in a black truck. Officers arrived but did not locate Ruth at that time, Barker said.

They found the vehicle unoccupied.

The ex-girlfriend of Ruth told officers that on August 20, an unknown person set her pickup truck on fire “while it sat on her driveway,” according to Barker, adding that she thought it was her ex-boyfriend but wasn’t sure initially, so she did not want that incident investigated further.

He was seen looking through a scope device while in camouflage in a trail camera photo, and she eventually identified the man in that photo as Ruth, Barker said.

She said they had dated for only a short period of time, and Ruth had never been to the home.

Ruth had an AR-15 style rifle slung across his chest while looking into the home, according to Barker, who said officers tried to find him with a drone but did not. A warrant was sworn out for his arrest on charges of stalking, and loitering and prowling at night, according to the DA.

The next morning, on September 17, detectives tried to execute a search warrant on Ruth’s known residence. Three detectives executed that warrant. They communicated with his family. At 12:11 p.m., they left the residence.

At 2:02 p.m., the five detectives arrived on scene at the location of the incident from the previous evening. They were searching for Ruth.

They looked through the outbuildings and used a drone to check neighboring fields. During the course of this search, they went to the front door of the ex-girlfriend’s home, Barker explained. The initial officer who went to the door was Emenheiser. Baker was behind him, and Becker was behind him, the DA revealed.

The final detective remained behind on the perimeter. The door was unlocked. They decided to go in. The mother and ex-girlfriend had already left for their safety, according to Barker.

Ruth then repeatedly fired multiple rounds at the officers with the AR-15 rifle, according to Barker. He shot Baker, Becker, and Emenheiser, according to Barker. He repeatedly fired on the other two officers, and all four detectives “went down,” the DA said. Ruth then turned his attention on a deputy sheriff who was present, Barker said.

The deputy sheriff and another detective positioned themselves to return fire. That detective fired at Ruth, who struck the deputy sheriff, Barker said. Two officers remain hospitalized with injuries and are in critical but stable condition.

Ruth also killed a black Labrador owned by his ex-girlfriend, Barker said.

Ruth is dead after being killed at the scene by police, The Associated Press reported.