BRIGHAM CITY — Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in a capital murder case filed against the man accused of shooting and killing two Tremonton police officers, Sgt. Lee Sorensen, 56, and officer Eric Estrada, 31.
The Box Elder County Attorney’s Office filed charges against Ryan Michael Bate, along with their notice of intent to seek the death penalty, Wednesday evening.
Bate, 30, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder, a capital offense; four counts of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; endangering a police service dog, a third-degree felony; and three counts of possessing an explosive, a second-degree felony.
In addition to those 12 felonies, he was charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon with criminal intent, three counts of assault, unlawful detention and threatening violence, all class A misdemeanors, and three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child as a class B misdemeanor.
Charging documents said Bate’s wife called dispatch and hung up in an attempt to get police to come after he slammed her head with a door, grabbed her by the throat and held her against a wall and the bed.
They said one officer arrived at the home in his uniform and left after being told there was no violence, but Bate shot at his vehicle as he was driving away, so he parked and called for backup.
As he went back to help Bate’s wife, charges said the man fired another shot, killing him. The second officer was shot and killed while he rushed to provide aid to the first officer. Charges said Bate also shot at a third K-9 officer who arrived, Mike Allred, causing injuries to both the officer and the police dog.
According to the charges, Bate also fired at a neighbor’s vehicle that looked like an unmarked police vehicle, “barely missing the driver.”
They said Bate approached the two fallen officers with a revolver and a rifle and “continued to look around for other targets” before he was taken into custody, according to the charges
No hearings are scheduled for Bate at this point.
“We express our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy and wish to thank the Weber County CSI, Brigham City Police Department, and all other investigating agencies for their assistance in the investigation, which is ongoing,” a statement from Box Elder County said.
It said the prosecutor also refiled a previous domestic violence case against Bate that had been dismissed on Aug. 27, 2024. In that case, he is charged with aggravated assault and three counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, both third-degree felonies, in addition to property damage, a class A misdemeanor.
This story may be updated.