NEWS
Rookie Cop Describes Harrowing Moment He Arrested Suspected CEO Killer Luigi Mangione
One of the officers who helped bring in Luigi Mangione, the suspect in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, had only been on the force for six months, he revealed during a press conference Monday.
Altoona Police Officer Tyler Frye, who was one of two responding officers to the Pennsylvania town’s McDonald’s, said they each recognized the seated suspect once he pulled down his blue medical mask.
“We just didn’t think twice about it. We knew that was our guy,” Frye told reporters.
“He was very cooperative with us. Didn’t really give us too many issues. Once we found out his identity, we took it from there,” he continued.
A restaurant employee had phoned authorities about a potential sighting of the suspect.
When asked about how he had only been an officer for about six months, Frye said he hadn’t anticipated being involved in such a high-profile case.
“I can’t say I was expecting it by any means,” he said. “But it feels good to get a guy like that off the street. Especially starting my career this way, it feels great.”
Earlier in the press conference, Altoona Chief of Police Derek Swope said Mangione had a “physical reaction” when questioned by the officers whether he had recently been in New York.
“He became visibly nervous, kind of shaking at that question,” he said. “And he didn’t really answer it directly.”
“The suspect didn’t have to say a lot after that question to show that he was very nervous about [the officers],” Swope added.