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A 31-year-old police officer in a suburb of Salt Lake City was killed after being intentionally hit by a car carrying fleeing suspects, a burglar, police said.
The driver of the car was shot dead by the police and an accomplice was arrested.
David Romrell, an officer from south Salt Lake City, died Saturday night at a hospital, police chief Jack Carruth said. The Marine Corps veteran leaves behind his wife and 4-month-old child.
Carruth said Romrell and another officer responded to a robbery call at a company and met two men fleeing in a car. The police came out of their patrol cars and ordered the suspects to stop. Instead, the pilot sped up and hit Romrell.
Police spokesman Gary Keller said Sunday that it appeared that the two policemen had fired at the car while she was heading towards Romrell. An outside body is investigating police shootings, he said.
The driver left and the car was found later. He died as a result of a gunshot wound and his passenger was found and arrested. Neither have been identified yet.
Carruth said that Romrell had been part of the police for almost a year and described him as a "tactically strong" officer, humble, sweet and gentle voice. The department had never lost an officer in the performance of his duties.
"Even if we prepare or know the risks of this work, we are not prepared for that," Carruth said. "It took us all by surprise, it was very, very painful."
Utah Governor Gary Herbert said in a statement that he and his wife Jeanette are joining the South Salt Lake police to mourn Romrell.
"He has been exemplary in every respect and I feel humbled for the service he has rendered to his country as a navy and for the service he has rendered to our communities here in Utah," said Herbert.
He said that he would pass the flags of the United States and Utah half-staff on Romrell's funeral day.
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