Editor's Note: This story has been updated to incorporate information revealed during a press conference Tuesday in Philadelphia.
An 18-year-old Buckingham man was arrested at his home Sunday morning and charged with Saturday night’s murder of a Temple University Police Officer, authorities said.
Miles Pfeffer was taken into custody at his home on the 2300 block of Quarry Road just after 7 a.m. — about 12 hours after the shooting — by members of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Central Bucks Special Response Team and state, Philadelphia and Buckingham police.
He is charged with the murder of 31-year-old Temple Officer Christopher Fitzgerald. Officials said Fitzgerald was shot in the face and upper body during a foot pursuit of three people in an area near the campus where there had been multiple carjackings and robberies.
During an often emotional press conference Tuesday, authorities detailed what happened Saturday night.
Fitzgerald was in full uniform when he got out of his patrol car and approached three people, all wearing black clothing and masks. Two of the people, later identified as white males, age 16 and 17, ran and hid, while Fitzgerald pursued the third person, later determined to be Pfeffer. The incident began about 7 p.m.
Police recovered video that shows Fitzgerald chasing Pfeffer on the 1700 block of Montgomery Avenue and telling him to “go to the ground,” Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said at the press conference.
Then, "You can hear the shots and see the muzzle flashes, 'bang, bang, bang,'" Ransom said.
"When Officer Fitzgerald then falls to the ground, Pfeffer then shoots the officer, as he is on the ground, three additional shots, 'bang, bang, bang,'" Ransom said.
The gunman started to walk away, Ransom said, but then came back to the fallen officer and tried to take his gun but couldn’t remove it from the holster.
The weapon used in the crime has not yet been located, said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
After allegedly murdering Fitzgerald, Pfeffer carjacked a vehicle a short distance from the shooting, telling the driver, “Give me the car or I’ll kill you,” police said.
The stolen car was found crashed into another vehicle along the 1900 block of North 30th Street, police said.
Police said that Pfeffer's mother then picked him up nearby at 29th Street and Ridge Avenue and drove him back to their Buckingham Township home. Pfeffer’s father lives in Philadelphia.
Fitzgerald’s handcuffs were reportedly used to place Pfeffer under arrest, a law enforcement tradition for those accused of killing an officer. Pfeffer is facing murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery and carjacking charges, among other offenses. He is ineligible for bail.
Fitzgerald was hired by Temple in October 2021, the university said. He was married with four children. The youngest is seven years old. The university started a GoFundMe for the slain officer. It had exceeded $200,000 in less than 24 hours, Newsweek reported.
Widely known for his kindness, love of Philadelphia and desire to effect positive change and reduce violence, Fitzgerald is the first Temple police officer killed in the line of duty.
“Christopher’s loss is not just our loss as his sisters and brothers in blue, but his loss will be felt by all who were blessed to be touched by his kindness,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw at the press conference.
CBS Philadelphia reported that sources said multiple weapons were seized at the Pfeffer home, which belonged to the young man’s mother. The mother was taken into custody for questioning, the news outlet said.
The station also reported that local authorities said Miles Pfeffer was known to police for what they described as nuisance crimes. Neighbors told CBS Philadelphia the family moved into the community about four years ago and that police had been to the home several times.
“There are no words to describe the news of another one of our officers being shot,” said Fraternal Order of Police Lodge President Joseph Regan, in a statement.
“This officer is a hero whose legacy and unselfish act will live in our hearts and memories forever.”
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