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Mourning the life, honoring the memory, and enshrining the legacy of Temple University Police Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald who tragically fell in the line of duty on February 18, 2023.
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WHEREAS, Integrity, professionalism, respect, competence, and service are the core principles of the Temple University Police Department. Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald lived by and died in service to these ideals, and
WHEREAS, On October 24, 2021, Christopher David Fitzgerald joined the Temple University Police Department to serve, protect, and defend the students and all residents that call the Temple University community and North Philadelphia their home; and
WHEREAS, On February 18, 2023, as a result of senseless gun violence, Officer Fitzgerald’s life was taken decades before it should have. On that Saturday evening, Officer Fitzgerald was in pursuit of a robbery suspect, and was shot near the intersection of 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue, he was later pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital. Officer Fitzgerald is the first Temple University Police Officer to die in the line of duty; and
WHEREAS, Officer Fitzgerald came from a law enforcement family. His father, Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, was once the police chief in the Allentown Police Department, and his mother, Pauline, used to work for the Philadelphia Police Department. He deeply loved his family. Officer Fitzgerald was a caring husband to his wife Marissa and a devoted father to his four children; and
WHEREAS, Officer Fitzgerald began his law enforcement career at the age of 19. He started working as a corrections officer before becoming a police officer. In addition to his service protecting the community, Fitzgerald was avid about health, working to promote physical fitness in both law enforcement and minority communities; and
WHEREAS, While February 18, 2023 will live on as a dark day in Philadelphia’s history, the bright light that Officer Fitzgerald showed to others will live on in the hearts of those who loved and cared for him; and--
WHEREAS, The motto of Temple University, “Perseverance Conquers”, must be remembered by those whose lives were bettered by Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, and by our entire City as we work to turn the tide on gun violence; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia expresses its deepest sympathies to the family of Officer Christopher Fitzgerald; his parents, wife, and children, to his fellow officers in the Temple University Police Department, and all who came to know him through his work protecting and serving the community; and
WHEREAS, Officer Fitzgerald represents the best of our City, the Commonwealth, and the Nation. The City of Philadelphia owes an unpayable debt to the sacrifice of this fallen hero and public servant; and
WHEREAS, Out of the ashes of tragedy, it is necessary to recommit ourselves to the principles that Officer Fitzgerald lived by. His legacy will always live on in fabric of Philadelphia’s society. May his soul find comfort. May his family find peace in knowing that their loved one died, doing what he loved, protecting the lives of those he cared so deeply for; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that it hereby mourns the life, honors the memory, and enshrines the legacy of Temple University Police Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald who tragically fell in the line of duty on February 18, 2023.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Officer Christopher David Fitzgerald as well as to his fellow officers, as a sign of the respect, admiration, and sorrow of this legislative body.
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