Sergeant Ervin Julius Romans II, 43, of the Oakland Police Department was killed on March 21, 2009, during a SWAT operation in Oakland. Earlier that afternoon a motorcycle traffic stop at 74th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard left Sergeant Mark Dunakin dead and Officer John Hege mortally wounded; the driver fled on foot and a multi-agency manhunt followed. An anonymous tip led officers to an apartment building on 74th Avenue where negotiations failed and a SWAT team moved in. The suspect opened fire with a rifle as Sergeant Romans and other officers approached, killing Romans and Sergeant Daniel Sakai and wounding another officer; the officers returned fire and killed the 26-year-old suspect.

The suspect was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon and had a no-bail parole warrant. Sergeant Romans, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is survived by his wife, three children and three step-children. Who knew Sergeant Romans or was in that neighborhood that afternoon and can add details about the events leading up to the standoff?