On Saturday night, an 18-year-old was arrested for fatally shooting a Philadelphia police officer in the head before attempting to steal his gun.
According to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Miles Pfeffer, 18, is accused of shooting Temple University police officer Chris Fitzgerald, 31, multiple times before going through his pockets and attempting to steal his gun.
Pfeffer was placed in Fitzgerald’s handcuffs at approximately 7:00 a.m. on February 19 – less than 12 hours after the shooting – as part of a tradition to honor fallen police officers, according to the US Marshalls.
Pfeffer was taken into custody on his family’s property in Buckingham Township, Bucks County, which is a wealthy rural area north of Philadelphia.
The district attorney’s office alleges that Pfeffer was involved in an armed carjacking after shooting Fitzgerald, a father of four who joined the Temple University police force in 2021.
Fitzgerald is the son of Joel Fitzgerald, who served as Allenstown’s police chief for two years beginning in 2013 before leaving Philadelphia to join the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas.
Saturday evening, a shooting occurred at the intersection of North 17th Street and West Montgomery Avenue.
Fitzgerald was heard on the radio around 7:12 p.m. pursuing suspects on foot, according to the police. When Temple University police arrived, they discovered the deceased officer suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and head.
At 7:27 p.m., he was pronounced dead, and police discovered five 9mm shell casings at the scene.
Pfeffer, who has a juvenile criminal record in Bucks County, was allegedly involved in the carjacking of an Infiniti Q60 a block away, according to the police.
Larry Krasner, the district attorney of Philadelphia, announced on Sunday that Pfeffer will be charged with murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking, and possession of a weapon, among other offenses.
Pfeffer was transported to the headquarters of the Philadelphia Police Department by a procession of law enforcement vehicles while wearing Fitzgerald’s handcuffs.
“This is a custom that we observe whenever a fallen officer has occurred. At the time of the arrest, Supervisory Deputy US Marshal Robert Clark stated, “We felt it was important to honor Officer Fitzgerald by reapplying his handcuffs.”
Pfeffer has posed with money, firearms, and motorcycles in a number of Instagram photos uploaded in recent months. In one photograph, he is pictured posing on a motocross bike with a pistol tucked into his pants.
In another photograph, he appears to be posing with a cash fan covering his face and a gun concealed within his waistband.
The photo was uploaded 11 weeks ago with the ironic caption, “Work smart, not hard, make stupid decisions, and suffer stupid consequences.”
Saturday night, Philadelphia Governor Josh Shapiro tweeted, “Lori and I are grieved for the family of the Temple University police officer who was killed tonight while heroically serving his community in the line of duty.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist Fitzgerald’s family. On Sunday afternoon, nearly $22,000 had been raised.
Officer Fitzgerald was a loving husband, father, friend, and public servant whose commitment to his family and community was unparalleled, according to Temple University Police Association secretary Rossman Shaffer.
Officer Fitzgerald loved being a police officer, and he will be remembered forever for his fearlessness in combating crime and his concern for the community.
Sunday at noon, Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety at Temple, sent an email to staff and students confirming Fitzgerald’s arrest and death.
She said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, that an 18-year-old person of interest was arrested this morning in connection with the terrible murder of a Temple University police officer last night.
Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald, who was hired on October 4, 2021, was fatally wounded while on duty and pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital.
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