Local businesses show support for local law enforcement, remember Officer Estrada in wake of Tremonton tragedy

TREMONTON, Utah (ABC4) — After two police officers tragically lost their lives in Tremonton, local businesses are joining the community’s outpouring of support for local law enforcement and the families of the fallen officers.

Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada were shot and killed after they responded to a domestic violence call late Sunday night. Box Elder County Sherriff’s Deputy Mike Allred and his K9 Azula were also injured in the shooting after he responded to a call for backup, though they are recovering and have since returned home.

A spokesperson acting on behalf of Sgt. Sorensen’s family expressed the family’s gratitude for the community at a press conference earlier today, and said, “We love Lee, we’ll miss him, and we are grateful for everyone in this community.”

Brittany, the wife of Officer Eric Estrada, also spoke out for the first time, releasing a statement to the public while also asking for privacy so that the family has time to grieve. She also thanked Chief Cordova of Tremonton Garland Police Department for his support, as well as Detectives Cluff, Bourne, and Martinez with Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office.

We want to say thank you to our wonderful community and the union, love, and support we have received during this difficult time. Everything feels surreal at the moment, but we are so proud of Eric and Lee for their sacrifice. They had hundreds of officers show up to share their love and support and thousands of people all along the freeways, bridges, towns, and highways proudly waved their flags saying their goodbyes. He is the best father and husband. We are so thankful for the time we had with Eric. I know he is in heaven smiling down.”
Brittany, Officer Estrada’s wife

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After this tragic incident, ABC4.com is highlighting a few of those businesses and what they are doing to support local law enforcement.

Cache Coffee remembers Officer Estrada

Mindie Buttars, owner of Cache Coffee, posted on social media to get the word out to more people about setting up flags along the side of the road for the procession yesterday. They are also providing coffee for the Tremonton Garland Police Department for the rest of this week at the request of Fallen Heroes Network, alongside Schaefer’s Bakery, who is providing donuts.

“We’ve always been really supportive of law enforcement, so we were more than happy to join in and help,” Buttars said. “It’s heartbreaking any time the community, you know, loses law enforcement like that. I don’t remember a time it’s ever hit so close to home for us.”

Buttars said that everyone at Cache Coffee knew Estrada. He came in “all the time” with another law enforcement friend of theirs who worked with Estrada at several different police departments.

“We have Malinois here in the coffee shop, and [Estrada] would love on the Malinois every time he was here,” Buttars said. “He wanted to have his own one day, but he had small kids, so he had to wait, and in the meantime, he would come in here and love on the ones we have here.”

They’ve known him for at least six years, Buttars said. They met not long after he started working in law enforcement.

She said that the best thing the community can do for Estrada’s family is to give them the space and time to heal. “At the same time, show support in the community. I said today that when the flags come down, and the ribbons come off the street, and days and weeks have gone by, it’s not a time to forget just how important law enforcement is to our community, that they should be supported always, all the time.”

While Cache Coffee is planning to provide the Tremonton Garland Police Department with coffee for the rest of the week, Buttars said, “honestly, we’ll take coffee out to them as long as they need it.”

Bear’s Cafe in Garland offers dining room as safe space

Michael Duncan, owner and operator of Bear’s Cafe in Garland is opening early to provide their dining room as a safe space for first responders and anyone else who was directly affected by the loss of Sgt. Sorensen and Officer Estrada.

Duncan just bought Bear’s Cafe, and they’re not opening to the public until September 1, but the dining room is now open for those who need it.

“We want to make sure that everybody that was involved Sunday night and Monday morning has a safe space that they can go and decompress,” Duncan said.

Duncan is a veteran; he served 12 years in the Army, and so he feels connected to law enforcement officers and first responders. “I consider every one of them a brother or sister, and their families serve as well.”

“When I came back from Iraq, having a safe space wasn’t really there for me, at least, not that I readily saw, so it wasn’t until I had a really good commander that pulled me aside and said, you need to fix yourself, you need to decompress. You’re not helping anybody if you’re not helping yourself.”

He said that he’d be happy to drive down and open the doors at any time of night, whenever anyone needs it.

Duncan didn’t know Sgt. Sorenson or Officer Estrada personally, but he had met them in the course of his previous business dealings. To their families, he said, “We desperately feel the pain. It’s not going to fix it, it’s not going to bring them back, but one thing we would like to do, if we have your permission, is to put their pictures on our wall, and remember them forever.”

Rogers HVAC waives labor costs for law enforcement

Ben Rogers, owner of Rogers HVAC, posted on Facebook Monday night expressing gratitude for local law enforcement, but he wanted to do more to truly show his appreciation.

“I decided to make it well known that if there were local law enforcement, either active or retired, that were having air conditioning issues in these hot weathers, that we would waive any sort of labor charges associated with repairing their systems.”

The initial post was a bit of an impulsive decision, but it was an “easy answer,” Rogers said. “Service to our community and to our nation has always been something that’s very close and dear to me.” Like Duncan, Rogers is also an Army veteran.

“I have spent many days away from my own family, sacrificing my time in giving service,” he said, adding that he knows many people who have served in the military or as law enforcement. “Oftentimes, it can be a really thankless profession, and it’s something that I don’t ever take lightly when folks put their life on the line to keep me safe.”

Rogers HVAC will be waiving labor costs for active or retired law enforcement until the end of August. Rogers said that he figured that was the amount of time that he can waive those costs without causing a burden on his company, and it will get everyone through one of the hottest months of the year, when the majority of air conditioning failures happen.