Overview

• Officer Richard Mendez, a 22-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, was fatally shot during a car theft confrontation at Philadelphia International Airport and was posthumously promoted to sergeant at his funeral.
• Mendez and his colleague, Officer Raul Ortiz, had just started their shift when they encountered several people breaking into a car, leading to a shootout that also injured Ortiz.
• Three men have been arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting, while a fourth suspect died in hospital from gunshot wounds sustained during the confrontation.
• The slain officer's daughter, Mia Mendez, spoke at the funeral, describing her father as a 'kind, loving, patient and humble' man and expressing her fears about rising crime rates in the city.
• The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with police pursuing other individuals who may have assisted the suspects or tried to obstruct the investigation.