Philly City Council approves resolution honoring Temple officer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia City Council approved a resolution they say will honor Christopher Fitzgerald's life and his sacrifice. In a powerful show of unity, Philadelphia City Council held a moment of silence at its weekly meeting on Thursday.
Councilmember Curtis Jones introduced a resolution in honor of Officer Christopher Fitzgerald.
"He chose to step up to the plate and defend people who couldn't defend themselves and in doing so lost his life. You can't ask for a greater sacrifice than that," Jones said.
The resolution reads:
Mourning the loss, honoring the memory and enshrining the legacy of the Temple University police officer who died in the line of duty on February 18, 2023.
"It's to the family," Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke said, "to the Temple family."
Before Officer Fitzgerald started his job at Temple in 2021, he also worked at Philadelphia's Sheriff's Office for about two years.
"I want to thank you for introducing the bill to recognize him and ask everyone to support his family during this time because we are all Philly," Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said.
A copy of the resolution will be presented to Fitzgerald's family soon.
Fitzgerald's widow told CBS News Philadelphia on Tuesday he died doing a job he loved.
"I told him, 'don't you want to go back to the Sheriff's office?' And he said, 'no babe, this is what I want to do.' And I said, 'OK,'" Fitzgerald's widow said.
"We want his family to know that we are partners, and without public safety and without crime prevention we don't have a city," Jones said.
The resolution also says Officer Fitzgerald represents the best of Philadelphia adding that the city owes an "unpayable debt to the sacrifice of this fallen hero and public servant."
