Utah shooting left two police officers dead and a third wounded after responding to a domestic disturbance call, and authorities said a man was taken into custody when bystanders convinced him to surrender his weapon.
The fallen officers were identified as Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada of the Tremonton Garland Police Department.
A sheriff’s deputy from Box Elder County and a police dog were also struck by gunfire as they arrived in their car to assist at a neighborhood in Tremonton on Sunday night. Officials said the deputy was released from the hospital on Monday, while the dog remained hospitalized in fair condition.
“These officers are definitely heroes,” Brigham City Police Chief Chad Reyes said at a press conference Monday morning.
He explained that domestic disturbance calls are among the most dangerous situations officers face. “We really don’t know what we’re walking into,” Reyes said. “And they are one of the most dangerous events that we can be dispatched on.”
According to police, multiple 911 hang-up calls came from a home in Tremonton. An officer from the Tremonton-Garland Police Department arrived first and was speaking with someone at the residence when a man emerged with a gun.
“The male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing the officer,” police said in a statement. A second officer who responded “was immediately fired upon by the same male suspect” and was also killed, the release stated.
After the shootings, bystanders persuaded the gunman to lay down his weapon, authorities said. Up to 50 officers from multiple agencies responded, and SWAT teams cleared the home to ensure no further threat remained.
The single-story house was surrounded by yellow crime scene tape Monday. A trampoline and a small blue pool were visible in the front yard.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the incident as “a terrible and tragic night.” He wrote online that he and the state were mourning “the loss of these courageous law enforcement officers.”
Police said the suspect was arrested on charges of aggravated murder. The identities of the wounded deputy and the suspect have not been made public.
Tremonton has a population of about 13,000 people and lies in northern Utah, around 75 miles (121 kilometers) north of Salt Lake City at the intersection of Interstates 15 and 84. The city promotes itself as “a favorite midway stop for vacations” to Yellowstone National Park, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, and also as “Utah’s City of Murals” with 18 public artworks on a walking tour.
