Woman Reported Stalking By Ex. The Police Sent To Protect Her Were Killed

Four police officers lost their lives and two others were wounded in a deadly confrontation in Pennsylvania when a 24-year-old man armed with an AR-15 style rifle opened fire during the execution of an arrest warrant.

The suspect, Matthew Ruth, was accused of stalking a woman in the area, according to USA Today. Several weeks before the incident, a pickup truck at the woman's residence had been set ablaze.

Despite suspecting Ruth's involvement, the woman had initially requested that police not investigate the matter. York County officials stated that she had only dated Ruth briefly, and according to her, he had never visited her home nor received any invitation to do so, CNN reported.

On September 16, the woman's mother reported spotting a man matching Ruth's description on a trail camera positioned outside their home.

The suspect reportedly had an AR-15-style rifle strapped across his chest and appeared to be surveilling the home through binoculars. Authorities later located Ruth's black Ford Ranger approximately one kilometer away, according to York County District Attorney Tim Barker.

Law enforcement officers conducted a search operation using drone technology. "Despite searching over the next several hours, a warrant was sworn out for (Ruth's) arrest," Barker explained to CNN.

When officers approached the farmhouse on Wednesday afternoon, they discovered that the front door, which had previously been locked, was now open. Upon entering, Ruth immediately opened fire. "Upon (the officers) immediately opening the door, (Ruth) repeatedly fired at the officers with multiple rounds from an AR-15 style rifle," stated Barker. The shooting resulted in the deaths of Detectives Sergeant Cody Becker, Mark Baker, and Isaiah Emenheiser, while two additional officers sustained injuries and remain hospitalized.

Officials revealed that Ruth was actually familiar with the home, contradicting the ex-girlfriend's previous statements. He had also fatally shot the family's dog during the incident.

"Besides discovering the initial casings from where (Ruth) began his barrage of murderous activity, they also discovered in the basement that he had killed the black Labrador that was owned by his ex-girlfriend's mother," Barker explained.

At the time of the shooting, Matthew Ruth was facing multiple charges including stalking, loitering and prowling at night, and criminal trespass.