YORK COUNTY, Pa. — When an arrest warrant service in York County turned into a deadly ambush on Sept. 17, EMT Pierce Ragland and Paramedic Dan Medford of First Capital EMS were among those rushing in to help.
Five law enforcement officers were shot that day. Detective Sgt. Cody Becker, Detective Isaiah Emenheiser and Detective Mark Baker of the Northern York County Regional Police Department were killed in the shooting.
“You have to be prepared for whatever may come into your ambulance,” Ragland told WGAL while reflecting on the shooting.
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He and Medford immediately grabbed their gear after hearing the urgent call come over the radio.
“I see something pop up that says signal 13, officer down, which is a new one. I’ve never seen that prior to that day.”
At first, details were scarce, with only a report of an officer-involved shooting as Ragland and Medford raced about 20 minutes to the scene, Ragland driving while Medford monitored dispatch traffic.
When they arrived, they learned that three officers had already been pronounced dead at the scene.
Medford said their priority was triage, directing resources to those with the best chance of survival and coordinating with EMS command and a flight crew at the landing zone. He and Ragland helped transfer Lieutenant David Godfrey, a critically wounded officer, from an ambulance to a waiting helicopter.
Ragland said the call hit hard, knowing he’d likely interacted with the fallen officers before and now could only think about their families and sacrifice.
Medford praised their partnership and the wider York County EMS community, which has endured a difficult year of critical incidents, stressing how much trust and teamwork matter when responding to traumatic scenes.
This combo of images provided by the York County, Pa., District Attorney’s office on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, shows, from left, Det. Mark Baker, Det. Sgt. Cody Becker and Det. Isaiah Emenheiser, all of the Northern York County Regional Police Department. (Northern York County Regional Police Department/York County District Attorney’s Office via AP)
AP
Attendees watch a procession Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Spring Grove, Pa., after multiple police officers were shot and killed. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Matt Slocum/AP
A memorial for police officers killed in a shooting is shown outside the Northern York County Regional Police Department, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 in York, Pa. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Tassanee Vejpongsa/AP
Officers salute at the conclusion of funeral services for slain Northern York County Regional Police detectives Cody Michael Becker, Mark Edward Baker and Isaiah Emenheiser, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Red Lion, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Matt Rourke/AP
Officers gather at the conclusion of funeral services for slain Northern York County Regional Police detectives Cody Michael Becker, Mark Edward Baker and Isaiah Emenheiser, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Red Lion, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Matt Rourke/AP
