‘Devoted his life to service': Slain Philly Sergeant Jaime Roman praised at funeral

On Thursday, Sept. 19, the city of Philadelphia said goodbye to officer Jaime Roman who was killed in the line of duty.

At his funeral, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel posthumously promoted Roman to Sergeant.

Jaime Roman remembered as hero at funeral

From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. the public was welcomed to participate in the viewing for Sergeant Roman at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The funeral services for Roman began around 11:25 a.m. with speakers followed by Mass. Officials said that seating inside the church was only for family, friends, law enforcement and dignitaries, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.

The Philadelphia Police Department put the entire funeral service on social media.

"Jazmin, On behalf of 13 million Pennsylvanians, I want you to know how much we deeply respect your husband, we appreciate him, we appreciate his service and we appreciate your sacrifice," Shapiro said while addressing Roman's widow.

The governor said that Jazmin Hernandez -- a Philadelphia police officer herself -- told him that their son says he would like to be a police officer when he grows up. Shapiro also shared the story of how Hernandez told him Roman first asked her out during his remarks.

Shapiro said he ordered flags in Philadelphia to be flown at half-staff in Roman's memory.

“Somewhere in Philly today, a child will tug on his mom's arm and say, why aren't the flags all the way up the pole? That child's mom will tell him about Jamie," Shapiro said.

Parker spoke to the grief the city is feeling and promised to be there for the Roman family and to continue support for all police officers.

"We won't forget Officer Jaime Roman," Parker said.

Bethel also memorialized Roman, calling him "a man who devoted his life to service."

As well as being dedicated to his job, Roman spent his free time finding ways of better policing. He'd buy school supplies for other children, help those without a home and chose to work in the tough streets he grew up on.

Bethel shared that Roman asked to work in Kensington, had even written a letter to his boss making the request.

"He said, 'it would be a great honor to join the new Kensington initiative to combat crime and the quality life issues that are unique to East Division,'" Bethel read from the letter Roman wrote.

That neighborhood was ultimately where Officer Roman was shot.

Bethel said he was grateful for all the police officers who came from all over the country to honor Roman.

People gathered outside the funeral Mass to view it on a Jumbo Tron set up outside of the church.

Expect road closures in the area around the cathedral throughout the viewing and funeral.

Following the service, the Executive Team, Command Staff, FOP Executive Team, 25th Police District, and other uniformed personnel will be stationed for Roman's final honors.

Bethel and Parker presented Roman's widow with the American flag that had draped his coffin.

Roman's body was then loaded into a hearse for his final journey. Before a motorcade escorted Sergeant Roman to his burial he was given the Purple Heart and Medal of Honor.

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The internment will be private following the funeral service.

Procession leads Jaime Roman's body to funeral

The procession for slain Officer Jaime Roman began before daybreak as his body was placed in a hearse at the John F. Givnish Funeral Home in Northeast Philadelphia and make its way to the Philadelphia Public Services Building along North Broad Street. Along the way, fellow officers saluted their fallen colleague.

Once Roman's body arrived outside police headquarters, the police commissioner joined rows of officers from the police department in a march behind the hearse down Broad Street and toward the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Bethel called the march a "proud" moment for him and the entire police department.

Police officers serving as pallbearers then lifted Roman's American flag-draped coffin inside the church.

The first of the two viewings for Roman took place on Wednesday, Sept. 18. He was remembered for his six and a half years spent with the 25th district, but most importantly, for his role as the leader of his household.

Officer Roman shot during traffic stop, dies months later

Roman died on Sept. 10, 2024, after a months-long battle for this life.

The 31-year-old Philadelphia police officer was shot in the line of duty in June during what officials believed to be a routine traffic stop.

Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at the time that the incident was a senseless shooting.

Bethel said that, after watching video from the event, he had seen nothing -- no escalation or flared tempers -- in the moments that led to the officer's shooting.

Officer Roman died more than two months after a gunman -- later identified as 36-year-old suspect Ramon Rodriguez-Vázquez -- fled a traffic stop and shot the officer in the neck, investigators said.

Roman leaves behind a wife and two children -- a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, who shares Roman's name.

"We have a young man who's 31 years old, two young children, an amazing wife, and amazing family and he was senselessly taken away from us," Bethel said.