Gunfire from fellow officer killed cop in Pennsylvania hospital shooting, officials say
Gunfire from a fellow officer killed a Pennsylvania police officer in a mass shooting at a hospital happened earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.West York police officer Andrew Duarte, 30, was shot and killed on Feb. 22, when he and as many as 60 other police officers from more than a dozen departments responded to the ICU at UPMC Memorial Hospital to confront a gunman who had taken hostages. The gunman, Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, shot and wounded two staff members before he was killed. Two other police officers were injured in the exchange of fire. Video below: Full news conferenceFinal momentsAt a news conference Wednesday, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said unbeknownst to hospital staff members or police, Archangel-Ortiz's stolen 9mm Taurus pistol was already out of ammunition when he took a hostage into a hallway outside the ICU, where police were waiting on either side. Barker said the gunman told the hostage to take him to where the most people were."At 11:13 and 45 seconds, (Archangel-Ortiz), while holding the healthcare worker hostage at gunpoint, exited the main door of the ICU. The officers, in their tactical positions, immediately created a reactionary gap and backed up in order to take full recognition, and to make full determinations of the hostage situation that was in front of them," Barker said. "Officers from both sides of the doorway begin to fire."One of the officers on the right side shot Archangel-Ortiz in the upper back and shoulder with a shotgun. Some of the pellets also hit the wall, but the hostage was not struck. Barker said that one projectile also hit an officer, who was holding a shield, in the hand.At that point, Duarte, who was diagonal and slightly behind the officer with the shield, was aiming at Archangel-Ortiz. Two shots hit Duarte. One hit him in the left arm and went across his chest. The other hit him in the left side chest area, where his protective vest did not cover. Duarte was fatally wounded.Another shot hit a third officer in the leg, injuring that individual.The gunman, Archangel-Ortiz, was shot 15 to 20 times. Barker said it was difficult to be precise given the nature of the injuries.A mother's griefDuarte's mother, Nancy Duarte Matarese, said learning whose gunfire killed her son doesn't change anything."Every officer there was doing exactly what they were trained to do to the best of their abilities in a very difficult, difficult... I can't even imagine. That's not even a big enough word for what it must have been situation. Every single one of them did what they were supposed to do, what they've been trained to do. I don't have any feelings one way or the other, other than deep appreciation for the work that they do every day or every day that they get dressed and they go out to save and to protect everybody and to walk into situations like this where you have shooters and hostages," she said.She said she thinks about her son's final moments."And then thinking about the fact that even though he knows he's shot, he identifies that to other all of the law enforcement that are there that he's been hit, he still goes back for the Northern Regional officer to grab his hand. And I that's what I think about," she said.She also wishes she could ask him what he felt about the threat being eliminated and everyone else going home."I wish I could ask him how he felt in that moment, but I can't. But I know that that was what he would want to do. That's what policing that he would want to do," she said.Matarese said the loss of her son has been difficult."I can't believe it. And every day, it becomes much more real, much more real that Andrew is no longer here on this earth. And I have to live with that and, you know, walk forward without him. And that's really hard because I loved him deeply with everything that I had," she said. She also said she feels the Lord has protected her."Justice was served in this life on the individual who's caused all of this because he's the person who came in with evil intentions, and justice was served there. I don't have to go through court hearings. I don't have to go through anything else. And I'm grateful for that, that there's no extension of this situation into something else," she said.'They ran toward danger'Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, on the day of the shooting, praised the work of the healthcare employees and law enforcement during what was quickly deemed a justified shooting."They answered the call and ran toward danger. Lives were saved," Shapiro said.York County District Attorney Tim Barker echoed the governor's statement."I personally watched surveillance videos, and I was able to hear firsthand interview statements that were made by officers who were present and there and who saw what occurred," Barker said.Nurse's son describes terrifying ordeal It was a moment Jessica Breighner will never forget. Her son, 18-year-old Jayden Huff, recalled the terrifying seconds his mother was lying on the floor of the intensive care unit at UPMC Memorial Hospital with her hands tied behind her back.What happened next was a nightmare. Archangel-Ortiz put a gun to her head."He pulled the trigger three times on my mother's head. Luckily, he was out of bullets, or my mother wouldn't be here right now," Huff said.Breighner survived to tell her son what happened, but at the moment, she thought she was going to die. The ordeal left her with a lot of anxiety and made it difficult to sleep."I feel for my mother. What happened should not happen to anyone," Huff said. "It made me take a second look and really think about life. You should cherish the time you have with the ones you love."Motive?Days before the shooting, a UPMC doctor told Archangel-Ortiz that a loved one had died. That story is here.Final, heroic actAt Duarte's funeral, West York Borough Police Chief Matthew Millsaps honored Duarte's heroic and selfless final acts. He shared the account of what happened during the shooting and standoff.You can watch Millsaps' tribute in the video player above.Summary of the UPMC Memorial shootingDiogenes Archangel-Ortiz entered the ICU armed with a gun and other items like zip ties, which he purchased that morning at Walmart.He took healthcare workers hostage and threatened to harm them, even shooting one healthcare worker in the leg. He also shot a doctor who was just feet away. One round grazed the doctor's arm and the other pierced the front of the doctor's jacket, which was hanging open.Officers from multiple departments and agencies responded, establishing tactical positions and attempting de-escalation.One healthcare worker snaps out of her zip ties. Archangel-Ortiz points his gun at her head and pulls the trigger three times. The gun only clicks. It wasn't clear to the workers whether the gun had jammed or he was out of ammunition. They also weren't certain whether he had another weapon.Archangel-Ortiz exited the ICU with a hostage held at gunpoint.Officers in the hallway outside opened fire. During the exchange, Officer Andrew Duarte, positioned diagonally to an officer with a shield, was struck and fatally wounded by shotgun pellets. Two other officers were injured.Archangel-Ortiz was fatally shot. He was hit 15-20 times.Immediate aid was provided to injured officers and healthcare workers, with three transported to a nearby hospital.An extensive investigation concluded that law enforcement acted professionally and within the bounds of their training. Below: Officer Andrew Duarte, End of Watch.
