Running club remembers fellow runner fatally punched while walking dog
PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - A local running club dedicated their run Tuesday night to Drew Justice, who died while walking his dog in South Philadelphia.
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Fairmount Running Club climbs the the Philadelphia Art Museum steps every tuesday night, but this steps run was dedicated to a beloved member Drew Justice.
Police say Justice, 38, and his fiancee were walking their dog at the South Philadelphia park when Justice asked Matthew Oropeza not to let his unleashed dog run free.
According to police, Oropeza became angry and punched Justice in the face, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the ground. Justice was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office ruled Justice's death a homicide due to blunt impact trauma.
"Every second I think about it, I'm like I hate it. I hate that feeling. I hate to see it on my phone. I hate seeing it online," President of the Fairmount Running Club Bennett Brookstein said.
The running club wanted to do something special in Justice's memory. They ran up the Art Museum steps 38 times for their 38-year-old friend.
Members describe Justice as kind, caring, goofy, jovial and always lifting the spirits of others.
These runners say their club is about more than hitting the steps or the streets of Philly. They are a team, they are family, and they are mourning the loss of one of their family members.