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Mourners prepare to gather in Philadelphia to honor Temple police officer Chris Fitzgerald
Mourners are preparing to gather in Philadelphia for a viewing set for Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald, who was killed in the line of duty. FOX 29's Shaynah Ferreira has the story.
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University announced it will pay the funeral costs for slain officer Sgt. Chris Fitzgerald and pay for the tuition's of his five children if they attend Temple.
Fitzgerald, 31, was shot to death on Saturday night during a struggle with a suspect later identified as 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer. The teen was arrested at his mother's house less that 24-hours after the deadly shooting and faces a slew of charges, including murder.
"It's unfathomable how his joy has led to so much pain for all who knew and loved him," Temple University President Jason Wingard said. I've met Officer Fitzgerald's family, and his wife and parents shared with me, separately, how much Chris loved working at Temple, saying, "It was his joy."
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Fitzgerald was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant on Thursday, according to a university official. Two viewings services for Sgt. Fitzgerald will happen Thursday night and Friday morning and his funeral mass will be held Friday morning the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Wingard, who is months in to his role as university president, said Temple University's Fallen Heroes Fund has raised over $450k for Sgt. Fitzgerald's family. Likewise, a GoFundMe page established in Sgt. Fitzgerald's honor has accumulated over $460k as of this writing.
"This terrible loss is a test, and how we react to it tells us something about ourselves and our community," Wingard said. "We must learn. We must grow. We must extend ourselves."