Three Pennsylvania detectives, described by those who knew them as humble, hardworking, and always willing to help others, were killed this week in an ambush, marking one of the state’s deadliest days for police this century.
Detectives Mark Baker, Cody Becker, and Isaiah Emenheiser were lauded as pillars of the Northern York County Regional Police Department, where they had collectively served for nearly six decades.
A prosecutor revealed they had saved lives before and were doing so again when they walked into the ambush, searching for a 24-year-old man wanted in a stalking case. Chief Dave Lash of the department stated the men “represented the best of policing.
They served with professionalism, dedication and courage.”
All were fathers, leaving behind wives and eight kids combined.
Becker, 39, had served with the department for 16 years and had been a big name in his home town of Spring Grove going back to high school, when he was a star athlete for the Rockets in football, baseball and wrestling.
“To know Cody was to know a man of unmatched dedication, grit, and unwavering selflessness,” his former wrestling coaches said in a statement on social media.
His high school football legend includes intercepting a pass from Chad Henne — who went on to quarterback in the NFL — and returning it for a touchdown.
But he was most accomplished in wrestling.
Becker went on to wrestle at Millersville University, even qualifying for the NCAA’s Division 1 wrestling tournament in 2007. He returned to Spring Grove to mentor wrestlers there, an example of what the coaches say was unmatched humility and selflessness, “always putting others before himself — traits that carried through every aspect of his life.”
Soon after joining the police force, Becker was honored for rescuing a mother and three children who were trapped on the third floor of a burning apartment building. The rescue included Becker climbing onto a second-story roof and catching the children as the mother dropped them into his arms, according to an FBI commendation bulletin.
Becker loved being a cop, said Andy Ziegler, a lawyer who grew up with Cody.
“He loved being able to help people. I mean, that was the big thing for him is he knew he was making a difference and he knew that he was helping people,” Ziegler said.
Becker was also the nicest person you were ever going to meet, he said. Ziegler recalled that when Becker heard Ziegler was struggling with his family and his mental health, Becker immediately went to see Ziegler.
