Two former Ocean City police officers were killed over the weekend in separate incidents in Pennsylvania and Virginia, the department said Sunday.

Officers Cameron Girvin of the Virginia Beach Police Department and Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department were fatally shot on the job. They both died Saturday.

The two high-profile shootings have gutted the Ocean City police force, interim Chief Michael Colbert said in a statement.

”Losing one of our own, no matter where they served, is a profound reminder of the risks we take and the bond we share," he said. “Their bravery is a true testament to their dedication to keeping their respective communities safe. The Ocean City Police Department is proud and honored to have worked alongside Officers Girvin and Duarte.”

Girvin started his law enforcement career in Ocean City in 2018, serving as a public safety aide who was assigned to the boardwalk during the evening shift. He became a Virginia Beach police officer in 2020.

Duarte was employed as a seasonal Ocean City police officer in 2016 and worked the day shift. He went on to serve five years with the Denver Police Department before transferring to the West York Borough department in 2022. In Denver, he received the “hero award” from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his work in impaired driving enforcement.

How the shootings in Virginia and Pennsylvania unfolded

Around 11:30 p.m. Friday night, Girvin and Officer Christopher Reece conducted a traffic stop in Virginia Beach. The Associated Press attributed the stop to expired license plates.

Girvin and Reece argued with the driver, John McCoy III, whom police said shot and killed them both during an altercation. Both officers died later at nearby hospitals, and McCoy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the AP.

Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said Girvin and Reece had “stellar reputations” and were “dedicated, determined peace officers.”

“We asked them to go out in this community and keep us safe from evil. And last night, evil found them,” Neudigate said Saturday.

In York County, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, a man entered UPMC Memorial Hospital and took several staff members hostage. The AP reported that Duarte responded with two additional officers, both of whom were injured during the exchange of gunfire. They are in stable condition, as are three wounded hospital staff members who were shot.

York County District Attorney Tim Barker identified the shooting suspect as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, who brought a pistol into the hospital. He was killed in the shootout with officers.

“It is absolutely clear, and beyond any and all doubt, that the officers were justified in taking their action using deadly force,” Barker said at a Saturday press conference. He said Archangel-Ortiz had held a woman at gunpoint and bound her hands with zip ties.

Barker added that Archangel-Ortiz had contact with the hospital ICU earlier in the week for “a medical purpose involving another individual” and likely targeted the workers there.

Local police departments pay tribute to fallen officers

Baltimore County Police, which shares a border with York County officers, honored Duarte on social media on Saturday.

Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County police departments paid tribute to the officers killed in Virginia Beach.

This article may be updated.