Philadelphia Officer Killed in Airport Parking Garage Shooting, Reward Growing
Another day, another headline murder in a Democrat-run city — this time in Philadelphia.
According to The Associated Press, Philadelphia police officer Richard Mendez was one of two officers shot as they confronted alleged burglars inside the parking area of Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday night.
John Stanford, Philadelphia’s interim police commissioner, said veteran officers Richard Mendez and Raul Ortiz heard breaking glass and saw several people breaking into a vehicle around 11 p.m.
The two confronted the suspects, and Mendez was shot multiple times. Ortiz was shot once in his arm, and one of the suspects was wounded, according to the AP.
Stanford said both officers were taken to hospitals, but Mendez was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Ortiz remained hospitalized Friday in stable condition. Both were assigned to the airport unit.
As CBS News noted, this came a week after three other officers were shot and wounded in Philadelphia responding to a call.
Mendez, 50, was a 22-year veteran of the force who worked out of the city’s 25th Police District before being transferred to the airport unit.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 president John McNesby said that Mendez “was a great guy, a great cop, really well respected,” according to CBS.
“He was a standout officer,” McNesby said. “You saw more tears in that emergency room than I’ve ever since in the years that I’ve been here.”
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Not only that, but the airport assignment is supposed to be an opportunity for older officers to take on as they approach retirement.
“It’s a place where you’re supposed to be winding down your career, and here they’re shot coming to work,” McNesby said.
Philadelphia International Airport has seen a spate of car robberies in the last few weeks and at least 112 cars stolen from the lot this year alone, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The FOP Lodge initially announced a $30,000 reward for any information leading to the capture of Mendez’s killer. Several other organizations donated to the reward fund, which stood at $180,000 as of late Friday.
FOP Lodge president Joseph Regan issued a statement saying, “We lost a hero today. 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.”
No suspect has been named, although CBS reported Philadelphia police said they’re looking for at least three people who were driving a Dodge Durango, stolen out of South Philadelphia last week.
That vehicle is believed to have dropped off an 18-year-old suspect at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Friday morning. The suspect had been shot and later died.
Naturally, five police officers shot in a week might lead some to believe that the soft-on-crime policies of George Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner might have something to do with this. But don’t tell Krasner that, who used the occasion of a dead police officer to sound off on the National Rifle Association.
“Law enforcement across multiple agencies are working continuously to identify those responsible — without the ability to quickly match ballistics on scene to a firearm that can be traced via database to point of regulated sale and owner, all because gun-crazy politicians serve the NRA’s bloody agenda instead of serving and protecting the public,” Krasner said in a statement released by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
“America has more guns than people, thanks to the same gun-crazy politicians who oppose common-sense gun regulations.”
One could more easily argue Philadelphia has five shot police officers, one of whom is dead, because of one political party and one progressive DA who doesn’t believe the role of law enforcement is to enforce the law.
Tell me, District Attorney Krasner: Does the NRA advocate for the proliferation of tools to break and enter cars? Because that seemed to be a factor in the Philadelphia International Airport shooting, given the high number of car robberies there of late.
Does the NRA advocate being soft on property criminals? Because you do, Mr. Krasner, which emboldens lawbreakers and keeps them out on the streets — just like other Soros-funded DAs have done in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Manhattan and other urban hells.
There were other statements by the Democrat politicians that run both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania which could indeed be sneered at the same way the Democrats sneer at conservatives who offer prayers after shooting events, as if already-failed Democrat gun control schemes would have worked better than God.
However, at least they had the common decency to not suggest that, after a murder that seems to have been precipitated by police confronting property thieves, it was really the NRA to blame, not the guy who took office with the aim of enabling property thieves in the name of social justice. Nice work, Mr. Krasner.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
