Man arrested in the death of South Salt Lake police officer
Nov 27, 2018, 3:09 AM | Updated: 7:30 am
SOUTH SALT LAKE — A man who is reportedly connected to the killing of South Salt Lake Police Officer David Romrell is in custody.
Investigators say their suspect was inside the car that was used to kill Romrell and had planned to commit crimes with the driver, who was shot and killed.
Jeffrey Black was led out of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office with his hands cuffed behind his back. Before he was placed into the vehicle that transported him to jail, he told reporters he felt sorry for Romrell. He says he has only known the driver, Felix Calata, for a few days.
“We were going to make some money. A girl owed him money,” Black says.
Black was found shortly after Romrell was hit. Investigators believe Calata intentionally hit Romrell, but Black claims he didn’t know Calata had hit anyone.
“No, I didn’t know it was a cop. I thought it was a mailbox,” he says.
Calata was shot by police and killed.
Officials from the South Salt Lake Police Department say they’re “ecstatic” Black has been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Officer Gary Keller says they don’t feel Black should have been let go after he was first interviewed.
“He was interviewed and, for whatever reason, maybe not enough probable cause at that time, he was released. That was very disappointing to us,” Keller say, adding, “The [Romrell] family was very upset about him being released.”
Black was booked into jail on suspicion of homicide, burglary and obstruction of justice. Court records show he had been arrested in August for possession of a controlled substance.
