YORK COUNTY, Pa. —Three officers are being remembered for bravery, heroism and service to their communities after they were killed in a Sept. 17 ambush.
Detectives Isaiah Emenheiser and Mark Baker and Detective Sgt. Cody Becker were shot at close range by a gunman lying in wait as they entered a home to serve a warrant. Two other officers were wounded and are currently hospitalized.
A growing memorial for the officers outside the North York County Regional Police Department is adorned by flowers, American flags and handwritten notes. Behind the tributes are the stories of the three detectives whose service and sacrifice are being honored.
Detective Isaiah Emenheiser
Detective Isaiah Emenheiser had a long and decorated career in law enforcement, WHP reported.In 2011, he was named Officer of the Year by his department and earned statewide recognition for his work in DUI enforcement.
In 2010, the Pennsylvania DUI Association ranked him second in DUI arrests out of more than 27,000 officers statewide, according to the report. He received the DUI Top Gun award that year and continued to earn the distinction for three consecutive years.
The Christian School of York, Emenheiser’s alma mater, and others across the community have praised his service and legacy. Online tributes describe him as “an amazing man and a great father.”
Detective Mark Baker
Detective Mark Baker is being remembered as a devoted father and longtime mentor who dedicated much of his life to helping children in York County, Local 21 News reported.
Baker, a father of four, served not only as a law enforcement officer but also as an active figure in local youth development programs, according to the report.
According to the New Birth of Freedom Council of Scouting America, Baker was a dedicated cubmaster for eight years and an assistant scoutmaster for seven. He was also an Eagle Scout and advisor to the NYCRPD Explorer Post, where he mentored youth interested in law enforcement careers.
Before joining Northern York County Regional Police, Baker served as a highway patrol officer with the Philadelphia Police Department from 2001 to 2004, CBS News Philadelphia reported.
“I know a lot of officers that did work with Mark, and there was nothing but glowing things (said) about him, his personality, how he was as an officer the three years that he spent with us,” said Roosevelt Poplar, president of the
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 in Philadelphia.
According to the FOP, Baker previously partnered with Sgt. Pat McDonald, a Philadelphia officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2008.
The FOP sent representatives from Philadelphia to York County to provide emotional support to the affected departments in the aftermath of the shooting, according to the report.
Detective Sgt. Cody Becker
Detective Sgt. Cody Becker is being remembered for his bravery, public service and deep commitment to the community, CNY Central reported.
Becker had a decorated career marked by moments of heroism, including a 2011 rescue in which he and another officer saved a mother and her three children from a burning apartment in York. According to the FBI, the officers climbed to a second-story balcony where the woman passed her children, ages three months to six years, into their arms before being helped to safety herself. The FBI credited the officers with saving all four lives.
Becker was also recognized by the Pennsylvania DUI Association for his work to keep roads safe. He received the “DUI Top Gun Award” in both 2012 and 2013 for his efforts in arresting impaired drivers, according to the report.
Beyond his policing, Becker was active in community outreach. In 2020, the Northern York department highlighted his involvement in a blanket drive for residents in need.
Editor’s note: To learn how you can support the families of Detective Sgt. Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser, as well as the officers still recovering, visit York County Strong.
