Philadelphia will not seek death penalty in Temple University police officer case

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.