SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A man who was a passenger in a car that hit and killed a police officer in a Salt Lake City suburb has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and burglary.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports 44-year-old Jeffrey Black, of Murray, entered his pleas Friday for his role in the Nov. 24, 2018, death of 31-year-old South Salt Lake Police Officer David Romrell. Black faces up to 15 years in prison on each charge when he is sentenced April 6.
He was not accused of directly causing Romrell’s death, but under Utah law, accomplices are considered equally responsible for fatalities during crimes. Prosecutors say Black was involved in a robbery and attempted burglary that preceded the police chase.
Officers fatally shot the vehicle’s driver, 31-year-old Felix Anthony Calata, after he was ordered to stop but instead accelerated and struck Romrell, who is survived by his wife and their young son.
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