TREMONTON, Utah — Two days after the tragedy that resulted in the deaths of two police officers in Tremonton, the community is still trying to wrap its collective head around what occurred. But friends of the two fallen officers want them to be remembered for the funny, friendly, and caring people they were.
“We’re that typical small town American community where you help out one another," shared Jim Hess, a longtime friend of Sgt. Lee Sorensen, who was killed, along with Officer Eric Estrada on Sunday.
Across town, there are blue ribbons on every corner for Sorensen and Estrada.
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“It’s a shock that this has happened. It’s all I can say," said former Box Elder County Sheriff's Office chief deputy Dale Ward.
Both Hess, who served as a firefighter in the area, and Ward are remembering their friends and former colleagues. Ward knew both officers and recalled a time he got to see Estrada’s personality shine through.
“He was a very pleasant young man," Ward said of Estrada. "He was funny, fun to be around.”
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Ward said the two even joked about his name, nearly the same as the actor who played a famous TV show "Chips" during the 70s.
“I said, 'Man, if you don’t milk this to the nth degree, there is something wrong here, pal!' You’ve got to do that!' Ward said. "He tried to feign off that he didn’t know what I was talking about, but he knew exactly what I was talking about."
Sorensen and Hess went to school together, with Hess saying it was always great to have him on your side.
“He was there as law enforcement, and we had had an elderly woman who broke her hip, and he was hands-on. He was an EMT as well. Helping take care of the patient, get the gurney out to the ambulance," remembered Hess. "It was great to work with someone you know like that."
From Logan to Tremonton, it’s the countless memories that will keep the names of both officers alive.
“Every comment is more than positive," said Ward. "It really brings a community together."
