On a February evening in Philadelphia, 31-year-old Temple University Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald was killed after confronting three masked individuals near campus. He observed the group, exited his vehicle and pursued one of them on foot. The chase ended in a struggle in the 1700 block of West Montgomery Street, where the suspect, then 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer, produced a handgun and shot Sergeant Fitzgerald multiple times. After Fitzgerald fell, the assailant stood over him and fired additional shots into his head and torso, searched the officer’s pockets and attempted to take his service weapon before fleeing.

The suspect then carjacked a vehicle nearby to escape. Sergeant Fitzgerald, a married father of four, was taken to Temple University Hospital and died of his wounds; he was posthumously promoted to Sergeant. Two companions were quickly detained and provided information that led to Pfeffer’s arrest early the next morning at his family’s home in Buckingham Township, Bucks County; officers used the fallen officer’s handcuffs to take him into custody. In June 2025 Pfeffer was tried, convicted by a jury on all counts including first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, and sentenced to life without parole plus additional time for related offenses.

Does anyone have information about the events that night or knew Sergeant Fitzgerald and can add detail to the timeline?