A post office in Philadelphia is one step closer to being renamed in honor of a fallen officer.
Lawmakers in Washington D.C. want to name the post office in Bustleton after Temple police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald who was killed in the line of duty in 2023.
The United States Senate passed the bill to rename the building on Bustleton Avenue near Red Lion Road.
That bill is now heading to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed.
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Shooting death of Officer Fitzgerald
Temple police officer Christopher Fitzgerald was gunned down on the evening of Feb. 18 of 2023 in an attack that happened near North 17 Street and West Montgomery Avenue in North Philadelphia. At the time, Fitzgerald was trying to apprehend a person who robbed a nearby convenience store.
Authorities said, on the night of the incident, Fitzgerald spotted three people dressed in black and wearing masks in an area where there had been a series of robberies and carjackings. He chased the trio, and after two of them hid he continued to pursue the third, police said.
Authorities allege that he caught up with 19-year-old Miles Pfeffer and ordered him to the ground and the two then struggled before Pfeffer pulled a handgun and fired.
Fitzgerald was shot at least once and fell to the ground, police said.
Police allege that Pfeffer then stood over Fitzgerald and shot him several times in the head and face, killing him.
After Fitzgerald had been fatally injured and lay bleeding on the ground, police believe Pfeffer attempted to rob Fitzgerald of his gun and went through his pockets.
Police later arrested Pfeffer for the killing at his mother's Bucks County home.
Pfeffer is charged with murder, criminal homicide of a law enforcement officer, disarming an officer, robbery, theft, evading arrest and weapons crimes in Fitzgerald's killing. He also faces robbery, theft, terroristic threatening and other charges in the subsequent carjacking.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
At Fitzgerald's funeral service in February, he was remembered as a loving father and "hero" public servant.
During the service he was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Fitzgerald's family calls for death penalty
The family of slain Temple University Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald are calling for prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Miles Pfeffer, the man accused of murdering the 31-year-old husband and father.
In the past, Krasner has called the death penalty "unconstitutional" and Fitzgerald's family claimed that they were told, through a letter from the DA's office, that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty in Fitzgerald's case.
And, they said, if Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won't seek capital punishment in this case, the family is hoping a newly appointed special prosecutor will.
Also, this isn't the first time that Fitzgerald's family have called for the death penalty for his killer. Family members called for capital punishment during a hearing earlier this year, as well.
The slain officer's mother, Marissa, argued that taking the death penalty off the table removes an option for a judge and jury tasked with seeking justice in her son's slaying.
The family noted that they are calling on Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry to empower newly appointed Special Prosecutor Michael Untermeyer, to adopt the case.
Untermeyer has been named as a special prosecutor through Act 40 and he has been placed in charge of investigating and prosecuting crimes on SEPTA.
The family noted that Fitzgerald's slaying happened within 500 feet of a SEPTA location.
An attorney in Krasner's office has told NBC10 that they are not seeking the death penalty.
Sgt. Fitzgerald's legacy
Fitzgerald was the first line-of-duty death in the history of the Temple University Police Department, a school official said.
Christopher Fitzgerald was a married father of four children, the youngest just 7 years old. Family members said he had just come back from his birthday vacation shortly before his killing.
He was working overtime and planned to take his kids out for pancakes Sunday morning, reported NBC10's Karen Hua.
Beside his love for family and dedication to public service, Fitzgerald was an avid runner who helped promote physical fitness in minority and law enforcement communities.
