Utah News Dispatch
Two officers killed, sheriff’s deputy wounded responding to domestic violence call in Tremonton
A bagpipe duo plays as a procession begins for two Tremonton-Garland Police Officers killed in a shooting, in Taylorsville on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch)
This is a breaking story and was updated at 9:30 p.m.
Two police officers were killed Sunday while responding to reports of domestic violence in the northern Utah community of Tremonton.
Sgt. Lee Sorensen and officer Eric Estrada, both with the Tremonton-Garland Police Department, died at the scene after a man with a rifle shot them as they responded to 911 hang calls from a home near Bear River High School.
Another sheriff’s deputy and a police service dog were shot responding to the call. Both are receiving medical treatment and are in “fair” condition, according to the Brigham City Police Department, which is currently handling press communications.
On Monday evening, bagpipes played and hundreds of police motorcycles hummed alive, as a procession accompanying the bodies of Estrada and Sorensen left the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office in Taylorsville, carrying Estrada to a funeral home in Logan, and Sorensen to a funeral home in Garland.
Crowds of people gathered on overpasses along the route, which stretched along the Wasatch Front and back to Box Elder County, holding flags and watching as the two hearses were escorted by officers from police departments across the state.
About 30 people gathered on and around a pedestrian bridge over Legacy Parkway in North Salt Lake, talking quietly and following news updates about the procession as they waited. Red flashing lights from fire vehicles paying tribute to the officers could be seen on bridges to the north and south.
August and Lisa Schmirler, who live in the adjacent neighborhood, hung a flag on the bridge, prompting honks from passing cars. Their neighbor, who is a motorcycle officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department, was joining in the procession, and they hoped their presence on the bridge would show support for him as well as the fallen officers.
“I think that being here physically, letting them see us, see the flag, is letting them know we honor them,” said Lisa Schmirler, who posted in neighborhood social media groups urging others to come out. “I can’t even imagine.”
Others on the bridge said they felt prompted to come because of family members who are police officers or out of respect for law enforcement officials that they know through work. As the motorcade passed, several became emotional, wiping tears.
Ryan Michael Bate, 32, was booked into the Box Elder County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder, which is a capital crime in Utah, as well as attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, and assault, a class B misdemeanor, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in 1st District Court in Brigham City. The Weber County Attorney’s Office is assisting in the homicide investigation.
According to court documents, one of the officers (it’s unclear who arrived first) responded to a neighborhood near Bear River High School at about 9:18 p.m. Sunday after someone called 911, then hung up, several times.
It was later determined Bate slammed his wife’s head into a doorframe, according to the affidavit.
The officer began speaking to someone inside the home — that’s when Bate emerged from the house with a “high-powered rifle” and began shooting at the officer, killing him, according to the court filing.
Bate then immediately began shooting at the second Tremonton-Garland officer who had arrived at the scene, police say. That officer was also killed.
“They immediately began taking fire. They requested additional units, and then stopped answering their radio,” said Crystal Beck, a detective with Brigham City, speaking to reporters late Sunday night, news reports show.
A deputy with the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, taking fire from the man. The deputy, still sitting in a vehicle, was struck, as was their service dog. Both the deputy and the dog stayed in the vehicle until they were evacuated to a hospital, Beck said.
After firing on the officers, the Brigham City Police Department says bystanders convinced Bate to put down his gun. He was taken into custody by other responding officers and is currently in custody at Box Elder Jail. He is being held without bail.
Court records show that Bate was charged in May last year with several domestic violence-related charges, including aggravated assault and three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, both third-degree felonies.
According to the charging documents, Bate got into an argument with an unnamed victim, broke a chair and then grabbed her by the throat “making it difficult to breathe.” Bate threw the woman on the coach — according to the charges, “there was visible red marks on the victim’s throat. The parties’ three minor children were present in the home during the assault.”
However, those charges were later dismissed.
“Our community is deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless act of violence,” Tremonton Mayor Lyle Holmgren said in a statement. “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who serve and protect. We must unite — not in division, but in strength — to honor their sacrifice, support their families and stand behind all who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe.”
Beck said that it’s been years since an officer-involved shooting happened in Box Elder County, which is home to about 57,000 people, according to U.S. Census data.
