Philadelphia will not seek death penalty in Temple U. officer’s case. Colleagues and family are dismayed

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia’s top prosecutor will not seek the death penalty for a teenager accused of shooting a Temple University police officer, a decision that angered colleagues and the victim’s relatives.

District Attorney Larry Krasner, a former civil rights attorney, has long been a staunch opponent of the death penalty in a state that has a moratorium on the death penalty. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a fellow Democrat, has vowed not to sign any execution warrants.

Miles Pfeffer, 19, of Buckingham Township in suburban Philadelphia, learned of the decision at a brief court hearing Wednesday. He is accused of killing Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, 31, in February 2023 as the officer pursued three suspects after a series of robberies and carjackings in the area. After two of the suspects hid, officials said, Fitzgerald caught up with Pfeffer and ordered him to lie on the ground. The two wrestled, and Pfeffer shot him six times, killing him, officials said.

Fitzgerald was married and the father of four children.

Pfeffer, then 18, was arrested the next morning at his mother’s suburban home and charged with murder, killing a police officer, car theft and other crimes. He remains in jail without bail. A trial date has not yet been set.

A spokesman for Krasner said the decision to impose the death penalty followed “extensive input” from experts and Fitzgerald’s family.

“They reviewed all aspects of the case themselves and all available information about the defendant before passing on their recommendations to District Attorney Krasner, who made the final decision,” spokesman Dustin Slaughter said in a statement Wednesday.

Pfeffer is represented by the public defender’s office, which generally does not comment on cases. Messages left with a spokesman for the office were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Joel Fitzgerald, the victim’s father and a former city official who now heads Denver’s traffic police, issued a statement saying Krasner’s background as a criminal defense attorney “tipped the balance in favor of justice,” according to local news reports.

The Temple University Police Association called the decision “absolutely devastating” in a social media post.