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Miles Pfeffer: Teen, 18, who shot dead Temple University cop tried to rob slain officer as he lay dying

Temple University Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald was 31 when he was shot and killed on duty

BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: An 18-year-old man was charged for killing a Philadelphia police officer before he tried to steal his gun, says Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Miles Pfeffer fatally shot Temple University cop Chris Fitzgerald, 31, in the head and was detained at around 7 am on February 19, less than 12 hours after the shooting took place. 

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said that Pfeffer was arrested after multiple agencies, including federal marshals, converged on his home in Buckingham Township in Bucks County. The criminal was placed in Fitzgerald's handcuffs to honor the fallen police officer according to the US Marshalls."That's a tradition that we do any time there is a fallen officer. We felt it was important to remember officer Fitzgerald by once again placing his cuffs on the suspect," Supervisory Deputy US Marshal, Robert Clark said at the time of the arrest according to Daily Mail. 

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Chirs Fitzgerald, who is a dad of four was rushed to the hospital after he was shot multiple times, but unfortunately, he breathed his last, becoming the first Temple officer to die in the line of duty. 

What are the charges against Miles Pfeffer?

Pfeffer is facing charges of murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking, and illegal weapons possession in the case, the DA’s office said.  DA Larry Krasner said in a statement that the heartless killer attempted to rob the cob while he lay on the ground after the shooting. “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,” Krasner said Sunday, February 19 according to New York Post. “Pfeffer is further alleged to have committed a carjacking a short time after, close to the location of the officer’s murder.”

Chris Fitzgerald's final moments before tragic death

Fitzgerald was killed when he tried to stop a carjacking, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw on Saturday. The police officer was responding to a robbery at a convenience store following the shooting. However, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, police authorities have not confirmed that account. 

The outlet reported that Fitzgerald informed over the police radio that he was chasing down suspects, but other police officers found him with multiple gunshot wounds to his face and upper body by the time they responded to the scene. 

According to a video obtained by authorities, the killer was allegedly involved in a later armed carjacking of an Infiniti Q60 about a block from where Fitzgerald was found. Pfeffer allegedly had a juvenile record in Bucks County. 

Who was Chris Fitzgerald?

Fitzgerald has been with the police department since October 21. He was married and a father of four, the department said. “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.” He was the son of Joel Fitzgerald, who led the police department in Fort Worth, Texas, for almost four years. 

In a statement, Fort Worth police said that they were “deeply saddened” by the loss of Christopher Fitzgerald. “Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and fellow officers during this difficult time and we extend our sincerest condolences to all those affected by this senseless act of violence,” the department wrote on Twitter.

University President Jason Wingard called the shooting “a gut-wrenching reminder of our police officers’ daily bravery and sacrifices to protect our students, faculty, staff and community” against “an unprecedented epidemic of violence.”