By nate carlisle

and Kristen Moulton

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Ogden • There was Jared Francom the joker, who teased his boss about his age.

There was Jared Francom the loyal comrade, who once arrived at a scene in a wrecked car to help a fellow Ogden officer.

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• Ogden officer injured in shootout takes turn for worse
  Published January 12, 2012

At a glance

Wounded officer’s condition downgraded:

McKay-Dee Hospital spokesman Chris Dallin said Thursday that Ogden police Officer Michael Rounkles, 29, had been downgraded from fair to serious condition. Dallin did not offer details on what prompted the decline in Rounkles’ condition.

Ogden police Officer Kasey Burrell, 33, remained in fair condition Thursday.

— Bob Mims

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And there was Jared Francom the husband and father, who would call home every night to speak to his young family.

"Jared loved to serve all that he could, but I believe the greatest thing he accomplished was to be a father to two beautiful daughters," said his younger brother, Gunner Francom.

Friends and family described all those Jared Francoms on Wednesday as Ogden and much of the state turned out to mourn the 30-year-old police officer killed in last week’s shootout that injured five other officers from the Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force.

An estimated 4,000 people — about half of them uniformed law enforcement officers — attended Francom’s service at Weber State University’s Dee Events Center. Boy Scouts and Ogden citizens lined the four-mile motorcade route to Ogden City Cemetery.

Inside the Events Center, Francom’s widow, Erin Francom, walked onto the arena floor with her two children. Officers stood and saluted as a color guard escorted the casket.

Gov. Gary Herbert sat behind the podium with other dignitaries, Francom’s family and LDS Church authorities. The service included LDS hymns and scripture readings, and Francom’s three brothers all said they expect to see their brother in the afterlife.

Ben Francom said his brother did everything with emphasis. Francom even drove fast, and once got pulled over by his police supervisor.

"He didn’t want to be just a regular patrol officer. He wanted to go big," Ben Francom said. "He wanted to be on the strike force."

Ogden police Lt. Troy Burnett, who was Francom’s supervisor when he started with the department seven years ago, recalled that Francom got into a fender-bender but still managed to arrive at the scene of a domestic dispute to help Burnett.

Burnett told the crowd that when he asked Francom why he didn’t simply report being unable to make it, Francom responded, "Sarge, when I heard you arrive on scene, I just couldn’t stand the thought of you waiting on me."

Added Burnett: "That’s the kind of officer Jared was. He wouldn’t let a fellow officer down."

But even on the job, Francom’s sense of humor shone. Francom used to kid the now-45-year-old Burnett about being an old man. After Francom put Burnett in a headlock one night as a joke, Burnett said he had a deputy county attorney create a fake summons charging Francom with assault on an officer.

Burnett said Francom responded by saying: "I feel pretty lucky to only be charged with assault. I thought due to your age it would be abuse of the elderly."

Ogden police Officer Shane Keyes told the mourners how Francom would call his wife and daughters every night. But Francom also watched out for fellow officers. Keyes remembered a night when he tried to send Francom home to his family and let other strike force members handle a case.

Keyes said Francom answered with a text that said: "My wife and kids are safe in bed. You guys aren’t. You guys are my family, too."