Temple University police officer fatally shot responding to a crime near campus

A Temple College police officer was fatally shot responding to a criminal offense close to the campus in North Philadelphia on Saturday evening, officers mentioned.

The college’s vice chairman of public security, Jennifer Griffin, mentioned it was the primary line-of-duty dying within the historical past of the campus police division, NBC Philadelphia reported.

The capturing was reported a couple of blocks west of campus after 7 p.m., Temple mentioned in a press release.

It mentioned the officer was shot making an attempt to apprehend an individual suspected of robbing a comfort retailer. The capturing occurred a number of blocks from the shop, the assertion mentioned.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw instructed reporters the officer was shot when he tried to intervene in a carjacking.

The officer was taken to Temple College Hospital, the place he died, she mentioned. He was later recognized as Christopher Fitzgerald.

“Officer Fitzgerald gave his life defending the Temple group and we’re ceaselessly indebted to him,” the Temple College Police Affiliation mentioned. “He valiantly served the temple group and the individuals of Philadelphia.”

Temple police mentioned a suspect was arrested custody Sunday morning. Robert Clark, the supervisory deputy U.S. marshal for Jap Pennsylvania, instructed NBC Philadelphia that the suspect was arrested with Fitzgerald’s handcuffs as a part of a “custom.”

“We felt it was essential to recollect Officer Fitzgerald by as soon as once more putting his cuffs on the suspect,” Clark mentioned.

The suspect was recognized by Philadelphia police Sunday evening as Miles Pfeffer, 18, of close by Buckingham Township. He was booked primarily based on allegations that embody homicide of a regulation enforcement officer, evading arrest, firearms violations, theft, carjacking, theft, and receiving stolen property.

It wasn’t instantly clear if he has retained authorized illustration. The Defender Affiliation of Philadelphia, a nonprofit group that serves as the town’s public defender’s workplace, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

College President Jason Wingard mentioned in a press release, issued earlier than he was recognized, that the officer was a sufferer of “mindless gun violence.”

“There are merely no phrases that may make sense of this tragedy,” Wingard mentioned. “It tears at our sense of group and security.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he and first woman Lori Shapiro had been “devastated” for the household of the officer, who was killed whereas “bravely serving his group.”

 “Could his reminiscence be a blessing,” Shapiro mentioned.

Dennis Romero

Dennis Romero is a breaking information reporter for NBC Information Digital. 

Gemma DiCasimirro, Brittany Kubicko and Elizabeth Maline contributed.