Two Utah police officers were killed and a third was injured along with his service dog when they were fired upon by a suspect inside a home while responding to a domestic disturbance Sunday night.
The shooting unfolded in Tremonton, about 70 miles north of Salt Lake City, Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said at a news conference Monday.
Reyes said the suspect in the shooting, a resident of the home the officers were called to, was arrested and has been charged with aggravated murder. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
The two officers killed were identified on Monday afternoon by the Tremonton-Garland Police Department as Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada.
Sorensen and Estrada went to the home after the Box Elder County Communications Center received multiple 911 hang-up calls from the residence, police said in a statement.
Upon arrival, one of the officers began speaking to an occupant of the home who was reporting a domestic disturbance, according to police.
As the officer was speaking to the resident, the suspect allegedly emerged from the residence with a firearm, police said.
“The male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing the officer,” according to the police statement.
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The second Tremonton Garland officer at the scene was also killed during a gunfight with the suspect, police alleged. Reyes said the two officers died at the scene.
A Box Elder County sheriff’s deputy and his service dog arrived at the scene as the shooting was going on and were fired on while they were still in their patrol vehicle.
Reyes said the wounded deputy was taken treated at a hospital and released. The officer’s service dog was taken to a veterinary clinic and was in good condition, Reyes said.
“After firing on these three officers and the police service dog, the suspect was convinced to put down his weapon by a bystander and he was taken into custody by additional responding officers,” according to the police statement.
Following the arrest, SWAT teams arrived and “cleared the home and verified no continued threat remained,” according to the statement.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
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Reyes said the shooting highlights the dangers officers face answering domestic disturbance calls.
“We don’t know what we’re walking into. They are one of the most dangerous events we can be dispatched on,” Reyes said. “These officers have been doing this. They took an oath to protect and serve their communities and that’s what they were doing, and they knew the dangers going into this and unfortunately they paid the ultimate price.”
No civilians were injured and there is no current threat to the public, officials said.
The Tremonton-Garland Police Department said a procession of law enforcement officers will escort Sorenson’s body on Monday afternoon from the Office of the Medical Examiner in Taylorsville, Utah, to a funeral in Garland and escort Estrada’s remains to a funeral home in Logan, Utah.
The police department invited members of the Tremonton and Garland communities to line the procession route to show support for the officers and their families.
