DENVER — The son of Dr. Joel Fitzgerald Sr., who is the chief of police for RTD, was killed in the line of duty in a shooting near Temple University in Philadelphia.
Christopher Fitzgerald was a Temple University police officer. He was shot and killed during an incident near campus Saturday evening.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer, was taken into custody Sunday morning.
Pfeffer is facing charges of murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking and weapons crimes, according to a report from the Associated Press.
In a statement, RTD said it was saddened by the news:
“RTD is deeply saddened to learn about the tragic and unimaginable loss of Chief Fitzgerald’s son Christopher, a police officer, who was killed in the line of duty. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Fitzgerald family and all those mourning Christopher. RTD asks the media to respect the privacy of Chief Fitzgerald’s family at this time.”
Dr. Joel Fitzgerald Sr., who was born in Philadelphia, was appointed to the agency’s chief of police position in August of last year. He has three decades of law enforcement experience.
Temple University president Jason Wingard called the shooting ‘a gut-wrenching reminder’ of officers' bravery and sacrifices.
