Police officer wounded in Philadelphia airport shooting released from hospital as search continues for those who injured him, fatally shot another

The police officer wounded while attempting to stop a car theft inside a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon, as the search continues for those who shot him and killed his colleague, Richard Mendez.

In a powder-blue Phillies jersey and with a cast on his arm, Raul Ortiz, a 20-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force, dabbed away tears as several dozen officers saluted and applauded their colleague while medical staff wheeled him out of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said that while seeing Ortiz released from the hospital is a “happy day,” the officer’s “mind and heart are going to need some time to heal.”

“After a bad situation like this, it has a lasting impact — knowing that he lost a friend and colleague in the midst of this incident,” Stanford told reporters outside the hospital.

Ortiz, 60, was shot in the arm at the airport’s Terminal D parking garage Thursday night, and hospitalized in stable condition. Mendez, 50, died after being shot multiple times in the torso — the 10th time a law enforcement officer has been shot in the city this year, and the second time an officer has died while on duty. Also killed during the confrontation was Jesus Herman Madera Duran, 18, who police said was dropped off at a hospital in the stolen SUV the shooting suspects used to flee the scene.

Police said the shooting occurred just after 11 p.m., as Mendez and Ortiz arrived at the airport parking garage to begin their shifts. The two officers previously worked in the 25th District in North Philadelphia and were more recently assigned to the Airport Unit — often viewed as a lower-stress detail for cops on their way to retirement.

In the garage, the officers heard breaking glass, police said, and saw three or four people attempting to break into a car. When the officers attempted to stop the group, an altercation ensued and shots were fired.

The suspects fled the scene in a stolen Dodge Durango, dropping Duran off at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before speeding away. Duran, of Camden, was pronounced dead around 11:30 p.m.

The SUV, which was reported stolen about a week ago, was found hours after the airport shooting, burned out on the side of the road in South Brunswick, N.J. On Saturday, NBC10 reported that police had found and towed another vehicle of interest, a black Dodge Charger SRT, from the 3700 block of L Street in Kensington.

Officials have said they are looking for as many as three suspects. The Police Department on Friday released a partial video of the hospital drop-off, seeking tips about who may have been inside the vehicle.

Some details surrounding the shooting still remain unclear, including who fired the shots and why Mendez’s gun was missing.

Stanford said Saturday that having Ortiz out of the hospital and in better spirits will give investigators the chance to speak with him more about what transpired at the airport. He urged the public to come forward with any information they may have, “regardless of how slight they think it is.”

Investigators at the local, state, and federal levels are working “around the clock” to find those responsible, Stanford said.

“If you kill a cop, we’re going to get you,” he said.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and other donors Saturday were offering a reward of $225,000 for information leading to the arrest of any of the suspects.

In a statement, John McNesby, president of the police union, said he is thankful for Ortiz’s release, and hopeful the officer will make a full recovery.

“Like Officer Ortiz, we’re all mourning the loss and death of our colleague and friend, Officer Richard Mendez,” McNesby said, who previously called Mendez a “standout” in the department. “We pray and offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fellow Philadelphia police officers.”

Stanford noted that Mendez’s death followed an already difficult time in the department. Three officers were wounded in Rhawnhurst Oct. 4 while responding to a domestic violence call, and two commanders died in recent days, one by suicide and the other due to a medical emergency.

“We still have three funerals to prepare ourselves for,” he said.

Mendez, a 22-year veteran of the force from Somerton, worked for many years as a beat cop in the 25th District, and was widely admired by his colleagues in the department. Officials said he was married and had a daughter.

In a statement Saturday, City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada said she was “deeply shaken” by the shooting, and saddened by the loss of Mendez, whom she called her friend. Lozada, who represents the Kensington-based 7th District, said she and her staff worked closely with both men.

“These officers helped shape my philosophy on what community policing should look like; they worked with me hand in hand and built the foundation for what we are working to achieve,” Lozada said, calling the shooting “the product of a culture of disobedience for authority that is plaguing our city.”

“As leaders, we need to look at this for what it is, and admit that the defiance of our laws and disrespect for authority taking place is not healthy behavior.”