WASHINGTON — Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, paid tribute to the lives of two police officers who were killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Tremonton, Utah, last month by laying down a wreath in their honor at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside of Washington, D.C.
Curtis laid the wreath during an afternoon visit on Wednesday as an act of gratitude for officer Eric Estrada and Sgt. Lee Sorensen, who died in the line of duty. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a marble monument located at Arlington National Cemetery that symbolizes and honors U.S. service members who have died in warfare but whose remains have not been found.
Lawmakers occasionally lay wreaths for killed law enforcement officers at the monument in a display of respect for those who are killed on the job.
Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, sits in his temporary basement office during an interview in the Russell Senate Office Building Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Washington, D.C. | John McDonnell, for the Deseret
Curtis reflected on the moment in a statement on Thursday, coinciding with the 9/11 anniversary.
“Today, we honor the 2,977 lives lost on Sept. 11. We also recognize the threats that remain to our democracy and freedoms, and I am profoundly grateful to the men and women in uniform who defend them,” Curtis said. “Never forget.”
After Curtis visited the memorial, he delivered a floor speech honoring Sorensen and Estrada. Curtis described the town of Tremonton as a “kind of place where folks wave as they walk past, where neighbors look out for each other, and where life feels far from the noise and the chaos of other parts of the country.”
“But on Sunday, Aug. 17, that peace was shattered,” Curtis said. “Sgt. Lee Sorensen and officer Eric Estrada, two devoted public servants, responded to a domestic disturbance call in the line of duty, both were shot and killed while protecting their community.”
Kristina, a woman identified by her first name only, and two teens place flowers on the lawn of the Tremonton-Garland Police Station to show support for the fallen officers in Tremonton, Utah, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. Kristina is a former work colleague of the two fallen officers. | Brian Nicholson for the Deseret
Sorensen and Estrada were killed in mid-August after they were shot while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The incident garnered national attention after SWAT teams arrived to help diffuse the situation.
The pair arrived at the house when a man came out with a gun, according to law enforcement officials. He opened fire on the officers, killing them both.
The shooter also shot and wounded another officer, as well as a police K-9.
After the officers were shot, bystanders spoke with the man to persuade him to put his gun down while SWAT officers responded. Up to 50 officers from multiple agencies responded to the situation.
Curtis praised the pair for responding to the call with bravery.
“We all know policing is never easy. Officers step into the unknown, often with seconds or less to decide between life and death, domestic calls are among the most dangerous,” Curtis said on the Senate floor. “Others made it home because Lee and Eric did not.”
Motor officers lead the procession to East Garland Cemetery ahead of the casket of Tremonton-Garland Police Sgt. Lee Sorensen that is carried to the by horse-drawn carriage on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News