Philadelphia, PA – Raul Ortiz, the Philadelphia police officer who was wounded while trying to thwart a car theft at Philadelphia International Airport, was released from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on Saturday. The officer was honored with a salute and applause from dozens of fellow officers as he was wheeled out of the hospital, wearing a powder-blue Phillies jersey and a cast on his arm. The discharge comes as the search continues for the perpetrators who shot Ortiz and fatally wounded his colleague, Richard Mendez.
Ortiz, a 20-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force, was visibly emotional during his release. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford mentioned that while Ortiz’s physical wounds are on the mend, “his mind and heart are going to need some time to heal.” Stanford spoke to reporters outside the hospital, acknowledging the long-term emotional impact the incident would have on Ortiz, especially after losing a colleague.
According to police, Ortiz, 60, was shot in the arm at the Terminal D parking garage on Thursday night and was hospitalized in stable condition. Mendez, 50, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. This incident marks the 10th time a law enforcement officer has been shot in Philadelphia this year, and the second time an officer has been killed on duty.
Additionally, an 18-year-old named Jesus Herman Madera Duran was also killed during the confrontation.
Police said Duran was later dropped off at a hospital in the stolen SUV used by the suspects to flee the scene.
As the investigation continues, authorities are intensifying their efforts to locate and apprehend the suspects responsible for the shooting and the fatal injuries inflicted on Officer Mendez.