By Steve Pomper
In 2023, Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald became the First Temple University Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty
Tragically, the story about a Pennsylvania cop savagely slain last year, whose family is now urging the death penalty upon a conviction, isn’t the only story about a cop murdered in George Soros-funded DA Larry Krasner’s Philadelphia.
I and other NPA contributors, like Doug Wyllie, have written about this loathsome individual in NPA articles, and I touched on Krasner’s dereliction in the NPA book, The Obama Gang.
I wrote, “The most egregious of the many perversions of justice happened when this corrupt DA released a violent criminal who went on to allegedly murder Philadelphia SWAT Officer James O’Connor during a warrant service.
“The former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and emphatic Krasner critic, William M. McSwain said, ‘[the suspect, Hassan] Elliot was on the street for one reason: Because of District Attorney Krasner’s pro-violent defendant policies.’”
About the scum who murdered Sgt. O’Connor, Wyllie wrote, “According to CBS News, the man who fired those shots was 21-year-old Hassan Elliott, wanted for a March 2019 robbery and murder. The DA’s office had repeatedly over time given Elliott a series of sweetheart deals—including free passes on parole violations, failures to appear in court, and reduced charges in criminal cases—and as a consequence, the budding career criminal was free to illegally obtain a gun and murder a police officer.”
Now, the family of another slain cop wants the perpetrator to pay the ultimate price for all he stole from them and the community. According to FOX 29 Philadelphia, “The family of Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald, the Temple University Police officer killed while on the job almost one year ago, is calling for the death penalty for his accused killer, 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer.”
Regardless of where you stand on capital punishment, Pennsylvania has a death penalty which, according to Findlaw.com, says, “is reserved for the most serious murder charges.” When you read the details of this crime, I challenge you to argue this cop killing isn’t among the “most serious” murders you’ve ever heard about.
Unfortunately, DA Krasner has been disserving Philadelphia since 2017. And there’s not much evidence that he holds cops in very high esteem—even those brutally murdered by suspects who should have been in prison.
About a year ago, Sgt. Fitzgerald, a two-year veteran of the force (posthumously promoted to sergeant), was on solo patrol and observed three young males wearing masks and dark clothing in a high robbery area. According to Beccah Hendrickson at WPVI, 6abc Action News, who wrote on FB, Sgt. Fitzgerald “came upon a carjacking in progress and tried to intervene.” The thugs ran and the cop chased them.
On X, Steve Keeley of FOX 29 wrote several posts describing the incident, which he said was captured on video:
“Video surveillance depicted Officer Fitzgerald on foot pursuit of a male dressed in all black clothing westbound on Montgomery Ave. The officer catches up to the male just east of 18th Street where the officer [and] male get into a struggle. Officer Fitzgerald is heard repeatedly telling the male to get on the ground.
“The male is then seen firing a handgun at Officer Fitzgerald who falls to the ground. The male then stands over Officer Fitzgerald & fires several more shots into his face & head area.
“The male then reaches down & attempts to take the officer’s service weapon but can’t seem to get the weapon out of the holster. He also searches the unresponsive officer’s pockets. The male then flees westbound & turns north on 18th Street.”
According to Keeley, the suspect then allegedly carjacks another victim, yelling, “give me the keys or I’ll kill you.” Reportedly, Pfeffer’s mother subsequently picks him up and drives him home.
A U.S. Marshal’s task force, which included personnel from several local agencies, later arrested Pfeffer.
Pfeffer appeared before a judge and waived his preliminary hearing rights. Pfeffer’s family “declined to comment” on the case.
I didn’t find much reporting on Pfeffer’s criminal history, but he is only 18, so any criminal record as a minor might be shielded. However, Heavy.com published a social media photo showing Pfeffer holding up a wad of cash and another showing him with a handgun tucked into his waistband. Joe Holden of CBS3 News Philadelphia also has an X post featuring a mug shot of Pfeffer from an unknown prior arrest a year earlier.
Sgt. Fitzgerald’s father, Joel, a former Fort Worth, Texas police chief, said, “It meets every threshold of the death penalty and I will tell you that we’re waiting, with bated breath, to hear from the District Attorney to see what they decide to do.”
Having followed Krasner’s steady strangulation of that great city’s criminal justice system, I doubt the Fitzgerald family will cheer any decision that man makes regarding an alleged cop killer. Whatever it is, it likely won’t be in the interest of public safety as any reasonable person would define it.
Pfeffer’s initial preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 2023. However, his attorneys have managed to have the accused murderer’s hearing continued four times to the anguish of Sgt. Fitzgerald’s family.
Pauline, Sgt. Fitzgerald’s mother says she isn’t surprised by the “long process,” but she also said the delays are ridiculous.
Dr. Jennifer Griffin, a former Delaware State Police Trooper (Captain) and the current Temple VP of Public Safety, said, “We’re frustrated that it’s taken this long, they need some type of closure, we all need a little bit of closure.”
Displaying little sympathy for the cop’s family, the mealy-mouthed DA didn’t comment directly on the family pressing him to seek capital punishment. He only managed to utter what sounded like insincere throwaway rhetoric.
On Fox & Friends, Joel Fitzgerald said, “People like Larry Krasner, they all have something in common. They have the same funding source we all know about [George Soros], and they put their philosophies in the place of the law and their blanket soft-on-crime policies are causing neighborhoods in our country to become latchkey.”
Because of the who slaughtered that young cop, Sergeant Fitzgerald will miss every special event and holiday that his wife and four children will ever celebrate for the rest of their lives.
I think about that young police officer, lying on the cold Philadelphia ground, looking up at some vile miscreant, pointing a gun at the wounded officer’s face. I think about the cop’s wife and four kids likely flashing through his mind before a thug pulls the trigger several more times, ending this hero’s life. I can only say, if convicted, I hope the Fitzgerald family gets their wish.