Just before 8 p.m. Oct. 12, the call came: A police officer on duty had been killed in Lower Burrell.
 
Mele hung up, pulled on sweatpants and stepped into his role as police chaplain.
 
When he arrived at the station, he found officers grieving for Derek Kotecki, gunned down by a fugitive sought on attempted homicide charges and later killed by officers backing up Kotecki.