Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Ervin Julius Romans II

Oakland Police Department — Oakland, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 21, 2009

Age 43

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

The Vigil Panel 157 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 53

Incident

Sergeant Ervin Romans and Sergeant Daniel Sakai, SWAT team members, were killed when they attempted to apprehend a suspect that had earlier in the day shot and killed Sergeant Mark Dunakin and mortally wounded Officer John Hege during a traffic stop.

At approximately 1:15 p.m., Sergeant Dunakin and Officer Hege, patrolling on a motorcycle, pulled over a car at a traffic stop at 74th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. During the stop, the driver opened fire, killing the officers. Citizens who witnessed the incident called 911 and started CPR on both officers.

The suspect fled on foot, leading to an intense manhunt by dozens of officers from the Oakland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and Alameda County Sheriff's Department.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., the Oakland Police Department received an anonymous tip that the suspect was barricaded inside an apartment building on 74th Avenue.

Officers first attempted to negotiate with the suspect, but a SWAT team was sent into the location to apprehend him when that failed. As the SWAT officers approached, the suspect opened fire with a rifle, killing Sergeants Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai and wounding a third officer. Officers returned fire, killing the 26-year-old male suspect.

It was later determined that the suspect had an extensive violent criminal history and was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon. In addition, at the time of the incident, he had a no-bail parole warrant.

Sergeant Romans was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Oakland Police Department for 13 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three children, and three step-children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-528E666B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Ervin is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Romans gave the Oakland Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Oakland Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Platform Identity opd.alameda.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 21, 2009

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Rifle; SKS

Military Service

Ervin Julius Romans II served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1983â1992) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Ervin Julius Romans II is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Oakland Police Department, 37 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 68.5% of this agency's fallen.

Oakland Police Department

of 54 officers

68.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious