PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An 18-year-old is facing murder charges for the fatal shooting of Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald Saturday night.
The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said members from the Central Bucks Special Response Team, Buckingham Township Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police took Miles Pfeffer into custody at his home in Buckingham Township around 7 a.m. Sunday. They arrested him using Fitzgerald's handcuffs.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said Pfeffer was transferred to Philadelphia shortly after the arrest. He has since been charged with murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking, possession of an instrument of crime and related offenses. He is not eligible for release on bail.
Authorities said Fitzgerald encountered Pfeffer during an incident investigation, with details not yet released, near the border of Temple’s campus Saturday.
That's when authorities said Pfeffer shot Fitzgerald in the head, just after 7 p.m., near the corner of North 18th Street and West Montgomery Avenue.
He’s alleged to have attempted to rob Fitzgerald of his gun and gone through his pockets while the officer lay on the ground, fatally wounded.
Authorities also said he committed a carjacking nearby shortly afterward.
Fitzgerald was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Dozens of Philadelphia police, elected officials and university leaders visited the hospital after the officer was transported there. Many of the visitors were emotional.
"Our hearts are broken," said Jennifer Griffin, Temple University's vice president for public safety. "We're devastated at the loss of a Temple University police officer who was protecting and safeguarding our community when they were taken from us.
"This is the first Temple University police officer who has lost their life in the line of duty."
The university released a statement, saying both their police department and the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating.
“There are simply no words that can make sense of such a tragedy. It tears at our sense of community and wounds us to our very soul. Temple has lost an officer and hero to senseless violence. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family, friends and the entire Temple community during this tremendously difficult time,” the university statement said.
Temple Police Officer Rossman Shaffer, a secretary with the Temple University Police Association, said the shooting was both “horrific” and “predictable.”
“We have an extreme officer shortage,” Shaffer said. “He also tonight intervened on a gunpoint robbery by himself. He did not have a partner to patrol one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.”
Since Saturday night, there has been an outpouring of condolences and support from across the commonwealth and beyond.
Gov. Josh Shapiro shared condolences from his family when the news came.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney shared similar sentiments.
Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, the co-chairman of the City Council Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention, said such violence is always tragic, but this killing was “especially tragic when it is a police officer who has sworn an oath to protect and serve.”