Philly mourns slain Temple police officer
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Temple University will hold a vigil today for the police officer who was shot and killed over the weekend.
What’s happening: The observance for Christopher Fitzgerald will take place on the North Philadelphia campus’ Bell Tower at 4:30pm.
- Fitzgerald, 31, is believed to be the first university officer shot and killed on duty, school spokesperson Ayana Jones tells Axios.
Driving the news: 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer was arrested early Sunday morning at his home in Buckingham Township.
- Pfeffer has been charged with murder and murder of a law enforcement officer, per 6ABC.
Catch up quick: Fitzgerald encountered Pfeffer on Saturday night during an investigation near the border of Temple’s campus, according to District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office.
- Pfeffer shot Fitzgerald, attempted to steal his gun, and then committed a carjacking shortly afterward, the DA’s office said.
Zoom in: Fitzgerald was a father of four who had been with Temple since October 2021.
- He was the son of Joel Fitzgerald, a police official who spent 17 years with Philadelphia Police and later served as police chief of four cities, the New York Post reported.
The latest: A makeshift memorial was set up near where Christopher Fitzgerald was killed, per CBS.
- A GoFundMe had raised more than $330,000 for Fitzgerald's family as of Tuesday morning.
What they’re saying: Fitzgerald's cousin Juan Marrero Jr. told the Inquirer that the officer “wore that badge like he was a superhero. He protected everybody here. That’s what he loved to do.”