Community Mourns the Tragic Death of Ervin Romans

IRONWOOD, MI - Saturday, April 04, 2009 - Area citizens, friends, family, and law enforcement officers from local, area, state, and regional agencies gathered this afternoon to show their respect for fallen Oakland Police Department Sergeant Ervin Romans. Romans was one of four officers gunned down in Oakland, California on March 21, 2009.

He was born August 29, 1965, in Ironwood and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1983. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he received numerous awards and citations, which included nine Meritorious Masts, three Letters of Appreciation, Good Conduct Medal with one star, Special Achievement Award, Meritorious Unit Accommodation and the Navy Achievement Medal. After serving nine years in the USMC he began his law enforcement career as a police officer for the Oakland Housing Authority. He was then hired by the Oakland Police Department where he served as a Range Master, Sergeant of Police supervising the Crime Reduction Team, and as a Team Leader for the department's SWAT Team. He received the department's highest honor, the Medal of Valor for helping save West Oakland residents in a fire. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending time with his family and friends.

He was the beloved husband of Laura "Nikki" Romans; loving father of Kristina Romans, Justin Romans, Kayla Romans, Kimberly Brown-Lawson, Cameron Brown-Lawson and Jaymes Silvera; treasured son of Chester and Sueko Romans; caring brother of Arthur and Tiffany Romans, and James Romans; and cherished uncle of Pamela and Johnathon Romans.

A vigil was held March 26 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Danville. Funeral services were held March 27 at the Oakland Coliseum. A Trust Fund has been established and donations can be sent to The Romans Children's Family Trust, C/O OPOA, 555 5th St., Oakland 94607.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I remember Erv Romans very well. When he was in high school he was a regular customer of mine in the pool hall. He was always polite and thoughtful of other people. Reading about his exemplary military and police career I am not at all surprised. He was a very good person, and I considered him to be my friend. During his senior year, several of his friends worked for me at our cottage. While we were working out there he would often stop by to visit, and more often than not, he would grab a tool or two and start helping. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his parents, his siblings, his wife, his children, his friends and everybody that feels the pain of his loss.