18-year-old arrested for fatally shooting a Philadelphia police officer in the head and attempting to steal his gun

US Marshals in Philadelphia arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the killing of a Temple University police officer Saturday night.

Miles Pfeffer, 18, was arrested Sunday after being accused of shooting Chris Fitzgerald, 31, multiple times, including in the head, before going through his pockets and attempting to steal his gun, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Philadelphia district.

At around 7 a.m. on February 19, less than 12 hours after the shooting, Pfeffer was handcuffed by Fitzgerald as part of a tradition to honor fallen police officers, according to US Marshalls.

Pfeffer was arrested at his family’s property in Buckingham Township in Bucks County, an affluent rural area north of Philadelphia.

The prosecutor’s office alleges that Pfeffer was involved in an armed carjacking after shooting Fitzgerald, who was a father of four and joined the police from Temple University in 2021.

Chris Fitzgerald is the son of Joel Fitzgerald, who was police chief in Allenstown for two years beginning in 2013. He was the father of four children.

Miles Pfeffer, 18, was arrested Sunday after being accused of fatally shooting Temple University officer Chris Fitzgerald, 31, in the head.

Fitzgerald is the son of Joel Fitzgerald, who was police chief in Allenstown for two years beginning in 2013, after which he left Philadelphia to join the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas.

The shooting occurred Saturday night at the intersection of North 17th St. and West Montgomery Avenue.

According to police, Fitzgerald was heard over the radio saying he was pursuing the suspects on foot around 7:12 p.m. When Temple University police responded, they found the officer murdered with multiple shots to the torso and head.

He was pronounced dead at 7:27 p.m. and police found five 9mm casings at the scene.

Police say Pfeffer, who has a juvenile criminal record in Bucks County, was involved in the robbery of an Infiniti Q60 a block away.

On Sunday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Pfeffer will be charged with murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking, possession of a criminal instrument, among other crimes.

Pfeffer was taken to Philadelphia police headquarters by a procession of police vehicles and with Fitzgerald’s wives.

“That is a tradition that we do every time there is an officer down. We felt it was important to remember Officer Fitzgerald as we once again placed the suspect in handcuffs,” Supervisory Deputy US Marshal Robert Clark said at the time of the arrest.

Pfeffer is pictured during his arrest Sunday morning, less than 12 hours after he was charged with shooting Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald (center) joined the Temp University Police in 2001

The Temple University Police Association tweeted Sunday morning that Pfeffer was arrested using Fitzgerald’s handcuffs.

The shooting occurred Saturday night at the intersection of North 17th St. and West Montgomery Avenue.

Several photos of Pfeffer uploaded to his Instagram account in recent months show him posing with cash, guns and motorcycles. In one photo, he poses on a motocross bike and has a gun displayed, tucked into his pants.

In another photo, he appears to be posing with a fan of cash covering his face and again with a pistol tucked into his waistband.

The photo, uploaded just 11 weeks ago, has a tongue-in-cheek caption: “Work smart not hard, make stupid decisions and face stupid consequences.”

Philadelphia Governor Josh Shapiro tweeted Saturday night: “Lori and I are devastated for the family of the Temple University Police Officer who died in the line of duty tonight, valiantly serving his community.”

A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money for the Fitzgerald family. By Sunday afternoon she had raised nearly $22,000.

“Officer Fitzgerald was a loving husband, father, friend, and public servant whose dedication to his family and community was unmatched,” wrote Rossman Shaffer, secretary of the Temple University Police Association.

“Officer Fitzgerald loved being a police officer, and will always be remembered for his courage in fighting crime and his compassion for his community.”

At noon Sunday, Temple Vice President of Public Safety Jennifer Griffin sent an email to staff and students confirming Fitzgerald’s arrest and death.

‘This morning, an 18-year-old person of interest was arrested in connection with the tragic murder of a Temple University police officer last night, he wrote, according to the philadelphia enquirer.

“We can now share that Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald, hired on October 4, 2021, was shot while on duty and later pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital.”