Murder suspect in 2022 shooting of Temple police officer stabbed in prison: source
PHILADELPHIA - A 19-year-old accused of fatally shooting Temple University police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald in 2022 was stabbed while awaiting trial in a Philadelphia prison.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley says Miles Pfeffer was stabbed multiple times Thursday night at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility in the city's Holmesburg section.
Pfeffer, Keeley reports through a source, sustained "some puncture wounds to his head" that are not considered life-threatening.
Pfeffer allegedly shot Sgt. Fitzgerald during a struggle near the intersection of 18th Street and Montgomery Avenue in February 2022.
Investigators say Fitzgerald was patrolling the North Philadelphia neighborhood alone when he attempted to stop three young people dressed in dark clothes due to recent robberies and carjackings in the area. Pfeffer and his brother were among the trio who ran from Fitzgerald, who immediately radioed for backup.
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Slain Temple officer Chris Fitzgerald was patrolling area alone the night he was killed, officials say
Authorities say Officer Fitzgerald was on patrol alone the night he was fatally shot. According to police, he originally engaged with the suspect and two other teens after they were spotted in masks and dark clothing in an area that has seen an uptick in robberies.
It's alleged that Pfeffer shot Fitzgerald three times during a struggle, and three more times after he collapsed to the ground. Pfeffer allegedly fled the deadly shooting by carjacking a passing car and later ditching the vehicle several blocks away.
Pfeffer was arrested the next day at a property in Bucks County and charged with murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, evading arrest and other crimes.