Matthew J Ruth Obituary, Death; – Matthew J. Ruth, who lost his life during a confrontation with law enforcement, is identified as the suspect in the murder of three police officers in York County, as stated by District Attorney Tim Barker.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at a farm located in North Codorus Township along Haar Road, near Emig Road.
Five officers attempting to execute a warrant were shot during the incident. Barker reported that the three officers who lost their lives were:
Det. Sgt. Cody Becker
Det. Isaiah Emenheiser
Det. Mark Baker
- All three officers were affiliated with the Northern York County Regional Police Department. Additionally, a fourth officer from the same department was injured, along with a York County sheriff’s deputy.
Matthew J. Ruth was 24 years old and resided in Penn Township, York County, which is in proximity to Hanover. - A neighbor informed WGAL that he was taken aback to learn that Ruth was the alleged gunman in the police shootings, although he was not surprised that Ruth had been involved in criminal activity. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if he got into trouble,” remarked the neighbor, who requested anonymity.
- According to court documents, Ruth was stalking an ex-girlfriend, whom he had briefly dated, at the farm where the ambush ultimately occurred.
On Tuesday night, a woman residing at the farm contacted the police regarding a man with binoculars peering into her home through a window. - The individual, later confirmed to be Ruth, was dressed in camouflage and was captured on a trail camera standing in the driveway, as per the documents.
A mother and daughter, the latter being the ex-girlfriend, informed investigators that they had installed the trail camera after someone had set the daughter’s vehicle ablaze on August 20. - The daughter conveyed to the officer that the person observed on the trail camera on Tuesday night was her ex-boyfriend, Matthew Ruth, according to the affidavit of probable cause. She also stated that Ruth had never visited the farm, nor had he ever received an invitation to do so.
Officers who reviewed the trail camera footage later observed an AR-15–style rifle slung over Ruth’s shoulder.
Police conducted a search of the property for Ruth but were unable to locate him. - Police requested an arrest warrant for Ruth for stalking, loitering and prowling at night, and criminal trespass.
- When officers returned to the farm the next day, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said Ruth fired upon them immediately as they entered the farmhouse.
- The DA said Ruth had an AR-15 style rifle with a suppressor.
- Barker said Ruth kept shooting at four officers and a sheriff’s deputy. He was killed when he walked up to the roadway and was hit in a final exchange of fire.
- In a search of the farmhouse after the ambush, investigators found the family dog, a Labrador, shot to death in the basement of the farmhouse, according to the DA.
- Barker said had the ex-girlfriend and mother shown up at the farmhouse instead of police, “they would have been killed immediately by (Ruth).”
- As for a motive, the DA said: “There is one motive, though, that is clear for everything, and that is the hateful scourge of domestic violence.”
