Temple University Police Association marks 2 years since Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald's death with vigil
The Temple University Police Association remembered the life and legacy of Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald with a candlelight vigil Tuesday, two years after he was killed in the line of duty.
Fitzgerald was shot and killed on Feb. 18, 2023, while responding to a robbery near Temple University's campus. The 31-year-old father and husband's death marked the first Temple police officer to lose his life in the line of duty.
On Tuesday morning, family, friends and loved ones of Fitzgerald came together for a wreath-laying ceremony at his gravesite in Forest Hills Cemetery. Many shared memories during a candlelight vigil at Philadelphia FOP Lodge #5 Tuesday evening.
Fitzgerald's widow, Marissa Fitzgerald, said her pain is still fresh.
"It's very hard, obviously. February is a painful month for us all," she said, adding that it's also hard trying to be strong for the couple's four children.
"They have their days and then they're good," she said. "Our daughter knows when February is coming, so she breaks down."
Amid the grief, Marissa Fitzgerald said the turnout at the cemetery was a testament to who Chris Fitzgerald was as a father, son and police officer.
"What I want people to remember is the sacrifice that he gave," she said. "His strength, his courage."
Chris Fitzgerald worked in the Temple Police Department, patrolling part of North Philadelphia for about two years before he was killed.
Fitzgerald came from a long line of law enforcement officers. His parents and grandparents all wore the badge, and his grandfather was Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel's godfather.
"We had police officers in our home since he was a small child. So that's what he grew up with, and he knew how to be a good cop," his father Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, a former Philadelphia officer, said.
Joel Fitzgerald told CBS News Philadelphia in 2023 that his son became an officer in Sugarland, Texas, following in his own footsteps. But after a few years, Chris Fitzgerald moved back to Philadelphia, where he grew up, and worked in the sheriff's office in a Monday through Friday gig that allowed him a lot of family time.
Marissa Fitzgerald told CBS News Philadelphia in 2023 that while he was at the sheriff's office, he wanted to be working in the streets again. Although she was worried for his safety as an officer in the city, she respected his decision.
"I respected that that's what he wanted, and then this happened, literally, my worst fears ... my greatest nightmare," Marissa Fitzgerald said.
"It's difficult for me," Kevin Bethel said Tuesday. "My journey with the Fitzgerald family started 61 years ago. We were trained by a guy named David Fitzgerald and he taught us how to be a man, how to be in this space, how to be a godly man. Joel would pour all that was poured into us into Chris."
One year after his death, Temple University paid homage to Fitzgerald's legacy and dedicated a plaque in his name, which was later hung on a wall for fallen officers at the campus public safety building.
Earlier this month, Temple police shared a birthday message for Fitzgerald on X, who would have been 33 years old.
More than 200 people attended the plaque-dedication ceremony. West Montgomery Avenue has also been renamed to honor the fallen officer. The street was renamed Christopher Fitzgerald Way in June 2023.
Friends, family, and community members remember Chris Fitzergald as a huge Drake fan who loved to laugh and took his job to heart.
