Title
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.
Body
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 li...
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