Philadelphia police officer dies after being shot in Kensington in June, commissioner says
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A Philadelphia police officer who was shot in the line of duty in June has died, the city's police commissioner said Tuesday.
Jaime Roman died Tuesday night "surrounded by family," according to a social media post by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.
"He has battled over these last two and a half months, and it's a really difficult day for us," Bethel said. "As you see the outpouring of love from the men and woman behind us. We grieve for him. We support him and his family. The mayor has been with us. Her team has been with us then and continued to be standing by our side now. We'll have a much greater statement tomorrow. We will outline everything and what the plans are moving forward. Today we ask the community to pray for his family. We ask you to pray for the men and women behind you who give their lives each and every day for this job. It is a very difficult night, but we will we get through this as a family."
Dozens of officers were outside of Temple University Hospital Tuesday night to pay their respects to Roman as the procession began to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office on North Broad Street.
Roman was 31 years old when he was shot in the neck during a traffic stop in Kensington on the evening of June 22.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker Parker wrote on social media Tuesday night that the city is mourning the loss.
"For now, to Officer Roman and his family, we hold you in our arms and lift you up in prayer," she wrote.
Parker previously described Roman as a husband, father and son who simply met his partner and went to work to do the job he had been doing for about six and a half years the night of the shooting.
During a press conference on the night of the shooting, Bethel said Roman and his partner were surveying a car during a live stop in the 3500 block of F Street when they spotted a holster.
Bethel said one of the four passengers fled from the car, firing three times at Roman as he ran away. Police later identified 36-year-old Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez as the alleged shooter. Police said he was driving an unregistered vehicle without a driver's license. Before Roman's death, Vazquez was charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and numerous other offenses, including aggravated assault and criminal trespass. His bail was also set at $12.5 million.
Roman was taken to Temple Hospital after the shooting and admitted to the surgical ICU in critical condition.
"I often come here with a lot of anger about what my men and women must endure. Today, I come with a different request," Bethel said during the June 22 press conference. "Today I sat in the auditorium of about 75 to about 100 men from the East Division. And we held hands as Commissioner [John] Stanford brought us together and we prayed for our officer."
Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 called Roman's death "a heartbreaking loss" on social media and asked for prayers for his wife, children, family and other members of the police department.
