Funeral services held for two fallen officers at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
On Aug. 17, two officers of the Tremonton Garland Police Department were shot and killed while responding to a house call. According to a statement released by the department, both Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada are survived by family members.
Following this tragedy, communities around Utah sought to show their support. On Aug. 18, a procession from Taylorsville to Garland commenced, and lines of police and emergency vehicles could be seen taking the route.
Other public events to honor the officers included a vigil and memorial held in Tremonton on Aug. 19 and a public viewing at Bear River High School on Aug. 27, as well as two public funeral services held at the Utah State University Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Estrada’s service was on Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. Eulogies were given by his friends, family and coworkers. Each one echoed similar sentiments and resoundingly agreed he was devoted to his family and career. According to his obituary written by his brother Jesus Estrada, he was born and raised in Logan.
“When we were young, we’d hop on our bikes and ride to the Hyrum Library hoping to get our hands on ‘The Goonies,’ or ‘The Sandlot,’ Jesus Estrada said. “When we got ‘The Sandlot,’ that was it. We were rallying the neighborhood for a game of baseball. Those were the simple, perfect moments, and I’ll carry those with me always.”
Detective Michelle Cluff worked closely with Estrada since they met in 2019 and was asked to speak at the service by his wife Brittney Estrada. Although Cluff didn’t imagine being able to get along with him at first due to their differences, the time she spent with him made it clear just how committed he was to serving his community. The respect she had for him made them close friends.
“I had patrol experience of one and a half years, and I couldn’t fathom how he could teach me since he’d only been on the road for a few months. It was then, driving with him for 10 hours straight every day, that I realized he was by far the better cop,” Cluff said. “I will spend the rest of my career trying to be half the officer that you were.”
Estrada’s daughter Cienna also spoke at the event. She recounted the things he took pride in, such as his hair and lawn and that he was always up for anything that included spending time with her and her brother Luke.
“There’s two people that have been really brave for me: my mom and my brother,” Cienna said. “They’d kiss in the kitchen and gross me and Luke out, and we’d say, ‘Ew.’ But that’s their way of showing love. They loved each other more than you could imagine.”
Sorensen’s service was on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. and was also held in the Spectrum. Sorensen lived in Garland his whole life. According to his obituary published by Rudd Funeral Home, he graduated from USU this past year with a bachelor’s in agriculture and worked as an officer in Garland for 16 years.
The service contained a performance of “I Am a Child of God” sung by Sorensen’s cousins, nieces and nephews. Eulogies were given by his brother, friends and coworkers. Sorensen’s partner Officer Grayson Jackson spoke about their time spent working together.
When Jackson’s daughter was born a month early, he let Sorensen know he wouldn’t be coming to work that day.
“A couple hours later, sitting in the hospital room, a nervous nurse walked in and said, ‘Uh, there’s a cop outside for you,’” Jackson said. “I instantly knew it was Lee because that’s who he was — showing up, checking in and making sure the people he cared about were okay in their time of need.”
Chief Dustin Cordova recounted the kind of officer Sorensen was: dedicated to his family, community and coworkers. When Cordova became the chief of the police department, he sat down with each individual working in the department to ask how he could serve them as chief. Most of the officers didn’t have an answer, but Sorensen did.
“Lee came into my office with a notepad and details because everyone who knew Lee knew he was always prepared. For the next hour, Lee gave me a full list of things we needed to improve. Cordova said. “When he finally finished, I looked at him and I asked, ‘Is that it?’ Lee turned bright red, shook his head and let out his signature laugh. He said, ‘That’s it for now’ and walked out of the office.”
His brother Will Sorensen told about a time Lee called their mother while she was driving just to make sure she was wearing her seatbelt. Upon finding out she wasn’t, he threatened to give her a ticket because safety was always the most important to him.
“One guy in particular told me he was pulled over by Lee three different times for no seatbelt. He let him off the first two times but gave him a $100 ticket the third time,” Will said. “That was because his grandkids or kids were with him, and he wanted to teach them about the safety of wearing a seatbelt.”
In lieu of flowers, donation pages have been established to support the officers’s families. Estrada’s can be found at helpahero.com/campaign/eric-estrada. Sorensen’s is located at helpahero.com/campaign/sgt-lee-sorensen. Estrada was laid to rest in Logan while Sorensen was taken back to Garland.