PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police Sgt. Richard Mendez, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month, was laid to rest on Tuesday after friends, family and members of law enforcement gathered at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul to pay their final respects to the 22-year veteran of the Police Department.
Mendez leaves behind a wife and a daughter, Mia. She spoke at her father’s funeral, saying he was a proud Philly cop and much more: “a full-time husband, dad, son, brother, friend. And he always found a way to make time for us. He was truly my superhero.”
Mia Mendez said her father was days away from retirement.
“My daddy was on track to retire on Oct. 15. It would have been his 23rd year on the force,” she said.
“When he retired, he wanted to go back to school, but this time to teach. I could not think of a better and more qualified teacher than him.”
Also speaking at the funeral was acting Commissioner John Stanford, who posthumously promoted Mendez to sergeant with a new badge number: 417.
Mendez's jersey number was 4, and his brother's was 17, Stanford said.
“Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us. Thank you for your service to the city of Philadelphia and thank you for a job well done. Godspeed, my friend,” Stanford said.
Mendez, 50, and his partner, Officer Raúl Ortiz, were shot on Oct. 12 just as they arrived at a parking facility for terminals D and E at Philadelphia International Airport to begin their shifts.
They heard breaking glass and spotted a group of at least four people breaking into a vehicle, according to investigators. When they confronted the group, Mendez was shot multiple times in the upper torso while Ortíz was shot in the arm.
One of the four suspects was shot and killed that night, too. Since then, there have been three arrests in connection with the incident. Investigators don’t know who pulled the trigger.