Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania Praised Police Officer for Swift Action in Identifying Murder Suspect at McDonald’s
In a press conference on Monday evening, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro hailed Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye as a hero for his swift action in recognizing Luigi Mangione, 26, as the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Frye, who is just six months into his time serving in the police force, recognized Mangione at a local McDonald’s restaurant, where the suspect was wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a silver laptop computer. According to court documents, Mangione started shaking when officers approached him, and he was asked to pull down his mask, revealing his identity.
Officer Frye and his team had seen photos of the suspect from media sources, which aided in their identification. Mangione was found to be in possession of a black 3D-printed pistol and a black silencer in his backpack, as well as a fake ID with the name Mark Rosario, which was later determined to be fake.
Mangione was charged with multiple crimes, including forgery, firearms not to be carried without a license, tampering with records or identification, and possessing instruments of a crime and false identification to law enforcement authorities.
Gov. Shapiro praised Frye’s actions, saying that he “acted with smarts and calm” and that the strong relationship between the community and law enforcement was proven through this incident. Mangione was taken into custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
