Editor's Note (Feb. 20, 2023, 7:03 a.m.): The officer shot and killed was identified as Christopher Fitzgerald. Click here for info on the arrest of his accused shooter.
A Temple University police officer was killed while trying to apprehend a suspect on Saturday night at 1700 W. Montgomery Avenue in Philadelphia, Temple University confirmed.
The officer was shot and killed shortly after 7 p.m., Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said after he tried to intervene in a carjacking.
In an earlier statement, Temple University said there may have been more to the incident, claiming the officer was "trying to apprehend the suspect in a robbery of a convenience store located at the corner of Cecil B. Moore and 15th Street."
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The officer was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting is still under investigation.
Out of respect for the officer’s friends and family, the school said in a statement, the identity of the officer will "not yet be released."
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This is the first time a Temple University police officer lost their life in the line of duty, Temple Chief of Police, Dr. Jennifer Griffith said.
Police are looking for at least one suspect. No one is in custody at this time, according to police.
The Philadelphia Police Department and the Temple University Police Department are investigating this matter.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
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