Tremonton-Garland police officer Eric Estrada’s wife, Brittney Estrada, and two children, Cienna and Luka, walk in followed by family during his funeral service at Utah State University’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Arena on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
Bagpipes echoed through the Logan Cemetery as roughly 1,000 police officers gathered before a flag-draped casket carrying the body of 31-year-old Eric Estrada, a Tremonton-Garland officer who was gunned down two weeks ago responding to reports of domestic violence.
Estrada, the newest officer with Tremonton-Garland’s small department, was a member of the community outreach team. And among the speakers Thursday, which included Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Estrada’s fellow officers and family, a common theme emerged, perhaps summed up best by Tremonton-Garland detective Michelle Cluff.
“Eric Estrada was community policing.”
Cluff, who met Estrada when she was in the police academy in 2019, was one of the opening speakers during the funeral service at the Utah State University’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. She remembered her colleague as someone most comfortable on patrol, approaching people in his community with a friendly demeanor that would ease even the worst moods.
“The community, the people he encountered every day, meant everything to him,” she said. “He came up with plans for community outreach and found his personal calling to educate the public.”
Cluff recalled a driving under the influence arrest Estrada made that she believes defines the young officer’s approach to policing.
“Eric spoke with the man, treated him like a person, and it was that conversation and the way he presented himself that convinced the man to turn his life around. He has been sober ever since and is now happily married with a child.”
Tremonton-Garland Police Chief Dustin Cordova called Estrada a model officer who helped bust stereotypes and build the community’s trust in police.
“He spent time with our most vulnerable citizens, educating and supporting them,” Cordova said. “He showed them that officers are more than just a scary thing, they are our neighbors and protectors.”
Jesus Estrada, Eric’s brother, described his sibling as a confident, competitive child with an infectious smile and fierce love for his family.
“His laugh was contagious, it could fill a room, lighten any mood and stick with you long after the moment passed. That’s what I miss, his spirit, his energy, his presence,” Estrada said. “Those were the simple, perfect moments and I’ll carry those with me always. Eric wasn’t just a part of my life, he shaped it, he challenged it, he looked out for me and he showed me again and again what it means to live fully and to never do anything halfway.”
Cienna Estrada, one of Eric’s two young children, echoed her uncle. Her dad was always game to play Minecraft, take his family to the river on sunny days or jump on the trampoline.
“He put others ahead of himself, he was a great human being,” she said. “We love you and miss you very much.”
‘He gave his life helping his brother and protecting others’
Estrada’s law enforcement career started in 2017 when he joined the Logan Police Department. He later took a job with the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office at the jail, before transferring to the North Park Police Department to work as a detective. He was just months into a new job with the Tremonton-Garland Police Department’s community outreach team when he was killed.
Estrada, along with his colleague Sgt. Lee Sorensen, was dispatched to a Tremonton neighborhood on the evening of Aug. 17 to investigate reports of a domestic dispute. It’s unclear who arrived on the scene first, but according to court documents one of the officers spoke to the wife of Ryan Michael Bate, a 32-year-old man with a history of domestic violence allegations.
Investigators would later report that Bate assaulted his wife that night, headbutting her, slamming her head with a door and grabbing her throat.
However, as she spoke with one of the officers, the woman assured them there was no violence, according to court documents. As the officer was driving away, Bate emerged from his house with a high-powered rifle and shot at the patrol car. The officer called for backup, parked the car and, as he got out, was fatally shot.
The second officer then arrived — as he ran to help his colleague, Bate fired another shot, killing him. A third sheriff’s deputy and his police service dog were also shot that day. Both are recovering.
“It makes complete sense that Lee and Eric went together because neither would have left the other alone,” said a tearful Cluff. “They both lived to serve and protect the community.”
That evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox began receiving text updates about the shooting. He hoped those initial reports of two officers down and a third wounded were inaccurate — instead, 24 hours later, he was at the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office in Taylorsville hugging Estrada’s wife, Brittney.
“Her eyes lit up as she got to tell me about the man that is Eric Estrada,” the governor said. “He wanted to make a difference, he wanted to help other people and make their community better and paid the ultimate price for doing that.”
“Eric Estrada showed us the meaning of valor,” Cordova added. “He gave his life helping his brother and protecting others.”
A somber farewell
Following the service on Thursday, nearly 1,000 officers quietly filed out of the arena to the nearby Logan Cemetery, where they formed a cordon that spanned nearly a half mile.
Officers from around the state and country — several Texas departments were present Thursday, as well as officers from Wyoming and Idaho — saluted as a hearse crept through the corridor, followed by members of Estrada’s family.
Bagpipes cut through the silence, playing out the melody to “Amazing Grace” as officers lined up to give Estrada the customary three-volley rifle salute. Then came the bugle, and the melancholy notes of taps. Four helicopters flew low over the gravesite.
Before the crowds dispersed, a police radio crackled to life. “Last call for Eric Estrada,” the dispatcher said, her voice wavering. “You may be gone, Eric, but you will never be forgotten. Thank you for your service, officer Eric Estrada, we salute you.”
A band leads the casket of Tremonton-Garland police officer Eric Estrada out of Utah State University’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Arena on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
Police motorcycles lead a hearse carrying Tremonton-Garland officer Eric Estrada into the Logan City Cemetery on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
Tremonton-Garland police detective Michelle Cluff escorts officer Eric Estrada’s daughter, Cienna, to the stage at Utah State University’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Arena to speak during his funeral on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during the funeral of Tremonton-Garland police officer Eric Estrada at Utah State University's Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Arena on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
Law enforcement officers stand in a ceremonial cordon during the funeral for Tremonton-Garland officer Eric Estrada at the Logan City Cemetery on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Dayton Call for Utah News Dispatch)
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