A Philadelphia police officer who was shot in the line of duty more than two months ago died from his injuries Tuesday night, Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Kevin Bethel announced.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that our brave @PPD25Dist officer, P/O Jaime Roman, passed away this evening while surrounded by family. Jaime was shot in the line of duty back in June, and had bravely fought since...
— Kevin J. Bethel (@PPDCommish) September 11, 2024
Wednesday morning, Mayor Cherelle Parker and Bethel provided more information on the death of 31-year-old officer Jaime Roman.
“Philadelphia, this is the first time this has happened during my tenure, the death of a police officer in the line of duty," a tearful Parker said. "There's no playbook on what a mayor is supposed to do at a time like this."
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Officer Roman passed away more that two months after a gunman -- later identified as 36-year-old Ramon Rodriguez-Vázquez -- fled a traffic stop and shot the officer in the neck, investigators said.
After the shooting, officials said, Rodriguez-Vázquez changed clothes and held a man hostage in his home all within the span of about 15 minutes in Kensington back on June 22, 2024.
Officer Roman was on life support following the shooting.
On Sept. 10, 2024, more than two months after the shooting, both Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Roman passed away at the hospital.
Just after 8:30 p.m. this evening, Philadelphia lost one of our public servants, Philadelphia Police Officer Jaime Roman.
— Mayor Cherelle L. Parker (@PhillyMayor) September 11, 2024
On Wednesday morning, Parker said she had ordered flags across the city lowered to half staff in Roman's memory.
"We will not allow his death to be in vain," said Parker.
In taking a moment to discuss the untimely death of Officer Roman, Bethel said that he considered the young man "my son" when he visited him at the hospital over the past few months.
And, Bethel said, Roman leaves behind a wife and two children -- a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son.
“He will never, ever be forgotten and we will continue to more forward,” said Bethel. “We will not be deterred in our work. We will continue to honor Jaime for everything that he gave.”
Funeral arrangements for Officer Roman, Bethel said, were currently being made.
"You talk about senseless..."
After the shooting happened, back in June, Bethel noted that it was a "senseless" incident.
"You talk about senseless," Bethel said. "This is the most senseless [shooting] you can ever imagine."
The shooting happened at about 7:18 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. Officer Roman and another officer stopped a 2003 dark blue Toyota Echo along the 3600 block of F Street, in the city's Kensington neighborhood.
At that time, officers determined the vehicle, that was driven by Rodriguez-Vázquez, was unregistered and they needed to seize it, according to Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
Initially, police reported that there were others in the vehicle with Rodriguez-Vázquez at the time of the stop. But, Vanore said, further investigation showed that, as the officers worked to get a tow truck, Rodriguez-Vázquez called some friends -- a 37-year-old man and two 33-year-old women -- who came to the scene of the stop in a separate vehicle.
"We had thought they were in the car with him. That was not true. They came to the car and met him," said Vanore.
These three individuals will not be charged in the incident, officials said.
For about 30 minutes, Vanore said Rodriguez-Vázquez and the other officers spoke, mostly in Spanish, at the vehicle as the officers conducted an inventory of what was inside the car.
At some point, Vanore said, one of the officers noticed a gun holster on the floor of the car and, when they asked Rodriguez-Vázquez about it, he fled.
Vanore said that Rodriguez-Vázquez fled on foot with the weapon and the shooting was unprompted.
"While he is in the middle of the street, without any provocation, he turns and he fires three shots toward the officers," Vanore said.
That was when Officer Roman was shot in the neck, Vanore said.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
The other officer returned a shot that did not hit Rodriguez-Vázquez, according to investigators. Vanore said that officer noticed Roman had been hit and immediately began to render aid.
In the moments that followed, Vanore said, videos obtained by police showed that Rodriguez-Vázquez discarded his shirt and put on another that he had in his possession and tried to get into a garage, but was unable to.
Vanore said he then attempted to carjack a maroon van but, the driver sped away.
Rodriguez-Vázquez continued on foot, and about 15 minutes after the shooting, he arrived on the 800 block of E. Shiller Street, where Vanore said, he took a man hostage.
"There's an individual he encounters in his 20s, sitting on the front step, just having a drink and minding his business," Vanore said. "He produces the gun, he forces that individual into his home and holds him at gunpoint."
According to Vanore, while inside the home, Rodriguez-Vázquez asked the man for several things before eventually letting him leave as police descended on the neighborhood.
Rodriguez-Vázquez was finally apprehended after a short barricade situation and the firearm used in the shooting was recovered.
Rodriguez-Vázquez was initially charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officers, gun violations, evading arrest and related offenses.
"We fully intend to very vigorously prosecute this case," said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said at the time of his arrest. "We are outraged. We are heartbroken by this horrific incident."
In discussing the charges, Krasner said that the incident was "unacceptable."
"What this family has gone through is unspeakable," said Krasner. "It is unacceptable. We cannot have this in this city for this family. We cannot have it for law enforcement officers in general. We cannot have this happening in our communities."
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office confirmed Rodriguez-Vázquez is now charged with murder in the aftermath of Officer Roman's death.
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