An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged in the death of a Temple University police officer who was shot near campus Saturday night, officials said.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office said Sunday the suspect, Miles Pfeffer, was arrested shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday at the Buckingham Township home where he lived by township and Philadelphia police, as well as state police and federal marshals. “Police used the fallen officer’s handcuffs to arrest the suspect,” county prosecutors said.
Several firearms were found, according to Alicia Roberts of CBS Philadelphia, who also notes that Pfeffer’s mother, who was present at the house when her son was detained, owns the property. She was also detained and interrogated.
Check out some other new content we’ve published:
- James Flynn Dead, Co-Creator of The Oscar-Nominated Film “The Banshees of Inisherin”, Has Died At The Age of 57!
- Police Arrest Des Moines Man After Deadly Overnight Stabbing!
Officer Christopher Fitzgerald was shot while responding to a robbery, the university said. Pfeffer will be accused of murder, the murder of an officer of the police, robbery, carjacking, and offenses using weapons. According to the prosecution, Fitzgerald received a headshot.
“Pfeffer is also alleged to have attempted to rob Officer Fitzgerald of his gun and to have gone through his pockets while the officer was laying on the ground and fatally wounded,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement Sunday. “Pfeffer is further alleged to have committed a carjacking a short time after, close to the location of the officer’s murder.”
Fitzgerald was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the university said Saturday. Officials at the school said Fitzgerald had been on its police force since October 2021.
Remembering and honoring our forever hero, Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald.
Officer Fitzgerald gave his life protecting the temple community and we are forever indebted to him. He valiantly served the temple community and the people of Philadelphia
EOW: 02/18/23 pic.twitter.com/5oRoxwxZPF
— Temple University Police Association (@officialTUPA) February 19, 2023
“Officer Fitzgerald gave his life to selflessly serve and defend this community,” Jennifer Griffin, the university’s vice president for public safety, said in a statement. “This loss leaves an enormous hole in all of our hearts. He was a father, a husband, a son, a colleague, and a friend.”
University president Jason Wingard said he was “heartbroken” and called the shooting “a gut-wrenching reminder of our police officers’ daily bravery and sacrifices to protect our students, faculty, staff and community” as the city and the nation deal with “an unprecedented epidemic of violence.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he and his wife were “devastated for the family of the Temple University police officer who was killed in the line of duty tonight, bravely serving his community.”
For almost 4 years, Jason Martin has been a freelance writer for newspapers, journals, blogs, books, and online material. He covers the most recent news as well as many other topics.