Bronze Plaque honoring Salt Lake City police officer unveiled


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SALT LAKE CITY — Friday afternoon was the first time Sandi Dunman-Bromley has been at a ceremony for her husband. At least this time, though, she could smile a little.

"This is very exciting," said Dunman-Bromley, "I think it's fantastic. It's been almost 13 years, so I'm really excited we got the plaque up."

The plaque she's talking about includes a picture of her husband, Salt Lake City police officer Michael Dunman. It's hanging on the east side of the Pipe Down Pub building off 15th south and State Street.

It is the same spot where Dunman was hit and killed in 2000. A driver jumped a curb and hit Dunman, who was on bicycle patrol, from behind.

"I was the first guy that rolled up when he was hit here," said Salt Lake City police detective Dan Wendelboth.

Wendelboth had just dropped Dunman off for work after a round of golf.

"He wasn't just a co-worker, he was a friend," said Wendelboth, looking at his friends plaque, "it may be 10, 20, 30, a hundred years from now, and people are going to walk by and read about it."

"It was one of those events that, even today, is very hard to think about and not get a little bit emotional," said Salt Lake City police chief Chris Burbank during Friday's ceremony, "these individuals are more than some name on a wall or on a plaque. They represent all that is good in society and all that is good within the Salt Lake City police department."


He wasn't just a co-worker, he was a friend.

–Dan Wendelboth


Bronze plaques are being placed throughout Salt Lake City near where officers died while serving.

Besides a picture of the officer, the plaque includes a brief history of what happened to them, and the name of the individual or organization that sponsors the plaque.

Lt. Mike Ross got the idea to do the memorial plaques. Dunman's is the 7th plaque unveiled, our of 24 Salt Lake City police officers who have died in the line of duty.

"All the plaques we've done before this one, I didn't know any of those guys. I saw their pictures and always had so much respect for them, but I never met those guys," said Lt. Ross, "but, I knew Mike."

The driver of the vehicle that hit Dunman was an undocumented immigrant, who claimed his tires exploded and caused his vehicle to swerve onto the sidewalk.

The Utah Highway Patrol did an investigation, eventually leading to the driver being charged with negligent homicide. However, the driver was allowed to post bail and get out of jail. He then left the country, and hasn't been found since.

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"He has never been brought to justice," said Lt. Ross, "He's still out there."

Dunman-Bromley remembers being angry after the driver fled the country.

"That was hard when he fled. I felt like he was a coward for running away, but I can't hold on to the anger," said Dunman-Bromley, "I forgave him a long time ago, so that makes it easier. If they catch him, they catch him. If they don't, they don't. Justice will be served eventually, in my opinion."

Dunman-Bromley has since remarried, and her children with Dunman, who were 1, 3, and 5 years old at the time he died, are all doing well.

"Every year on July 17th, we go visit his grave," said Dunman-Bromley, "it's kind of a tradition. We just sit down by his grave and think about him. We have memory books the police department made for us, so we bring those and look through them."

Plaques like the one unveiled today make it easier for the public to remember Dunman, but Dunman-Bromley, it's something she'll never forget.

"I kind of describe it as just being stabbed in the heart. It heals, but the scar is always there."

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