2 Officers Die Answering Domestic Disturbance Call

Two Utah police officers were gunned down and a third was injured along with his service dog in a deadly ambush during a domestic disturbance call late Sunday night in Tremonton, about 70 miles north of Salt Lake City.

Authorities said Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada of the Tremonton-Garland Police Department were killed when a suspect inside the home suddenly opened fire as they responded to multiple 911 hang-up calls from the residence.

According to investigators, one of the officers was speaking with a resident reporting a domestic disturbance when the suspect emerged with a firearm and fatally shot him. Estrada was killed moments later in a gunfight with the suspect. Both officers died at the scene.

A Box Elder County sheriff’s deputy who arrived during the gunfire was also hit, along with his service dog. The deputy was treated at a hospital and released, while his K9 partner was taken to a vet and is expected to recover.

Police said the suspect, a resident of the home, was ultimately persuaded by a bystander to drop his weapon before being taken into custody. He has been charged with aggravated murder, though his name has not yet been released.

“This highlights the dangers officers face answering domestic disturbance calls,” Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said at a press conference. “We don’t know what we’re walking into. These officers took an oath to protect and serve, and tragically, they paid the ultimate price.”

No civilians were harmed in the shooting.

To honor the fallen, law enforcement organized processions on Monday afternoon. Sorensen’s body was escorted from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Taylorsville to Garland for funeral services, while Estrada’s remains were taken to Logan. Residents were invited to line the route to show their support for the officers and their grieving families.