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Community members honor fallen South Salt Lake officer’s dedication to serve

Posted at 6:59 PM, Nov 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-26 21:46:42-05

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah -- Community members are coming together to remember Officer David Romrell, who was killed in the line of duty on Saturday in South Salt Lake.

Irene Middleton met Romrell after her wheelchair broke down earlier this year.

“I was totally freaked out, I didn’t know what to do,” said Middleton. “I mean what do you do when you can’t walk, your transportation doesn’t move and you can’t push it?”

Middleton put in a non-emergency call to South Salt Lake police and Romrell responded.

“When he got ready to push me, he goes, 'so how far am I going?'” said Middleton.

Middleton said Romrell pushed her a block and a half, but then went the extra mile.

“He didn’t just push me to the building and leave,” said Middleton. “He pushed me to the building, got me in the doors, in the elevator, up to the second floor and into my apartment and made sure I’d gotten transferred into my recliner and was comfortable before he’d even leave.”

A memory, now a memorial for her after Middleton heard Romrell was killed by a suspect, identified as Felix Calata, who ran his car into Romrell.

“You don’t forget somebody that pushes 300 and something pounds,” said Middleton. “He had the most wonderful sense of humor."

A sense of humor, and a sense of compassion helping someone he’d never met before.

“I want his family to know that my family is so grateful to him and that we loved him, by proxy for what he did for me,” said Middleton.

Loved ones have set up a GoFundMeto help his young family, just as Romrell served his community so well.