The family of fallen Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald is urging Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to seek the death penalty for the 19-year-old suspect, Miles Pfeffer, who allegedly killed the officer during a carjacking attempt.
Fitzgerald’s family believes the case warrants capital punishment due to the severity of the crime.
Fitzgerald’s father said, “In this case, we’re not going away. We’re not a family that [Krasner] can just manipulate or maneuver around.”
“We have a strong, generational history within the city of Philadelphia, and we’re not going to allow our son’s assassination to be handled in any way outside of just a death penalty case. We just won’t allow it to happen.” said the retired police chief.
Krasner’s opposition to the death penalty has led to delays in the legal proceedings.
Krasner said, “We join law enforcement and people across the region in expressing our heartbreak and outrage over this horrific crime. Officer Fitzgerald’s life was ripped from him and his loved ones violently and senselessly.”
The family emphasizes the need for justice in this specific case, highlighting the impact of the officer’s tragic death on his loved ones and community.
Fitzgerald Sr. said, “The death penalty is on the books, and it’s on the books for a reason.”
“It’s a tool that the DA’s office can level up against people who fit the prongs of a capital murder case,” he continued.
“This case was no less than an assassination, and it fits the prongs of the capital murder case. So I’m curious as to why it took so long,” added the officer’s father.
Krasner wrote in a statement, “Given Governor Shapiro’s previous and consistent support for upholding the death penalty as Attorney General, today’s announcement that Shapiro now opposes the death penalty is a very welcome and encouraging evolution in his position.”
“The death penalty in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly applies to Black and brown defendants, mentally impaired defendants, and poor defendants who cannot afford legal counsel and are assigned court-appointed lawyers. It does not do what the law requires — apply the ultimate penalty to the worst offenders who commit the worst homicides. Rather, it applies the ultimate penalty to the poorest and most impaired defendants,” he continued.
Fitzgerald Sr. said, “This is an unusual case. You have a male of privilege that comes from outside of the city of Philadelphia. He’s preying on the citizens within the city of Philadelphia. … He’s 19 right now. He has already taken a significant step to [commit] a crime of significant violence like this.”
“He was always laughing. He was always singing, and he can’t sing, by the way. We just try to be there for [his children] and keep his memory as alive as we can and just remind them of what a special daddy [he was],” he concluded.
