TREMONTON — Dozens of community members paid their respects to two fallen Tremonton Garland officers and their families on Monday.
Many community members left work and took time out of their day to come to the police department. That’s where they left bouquets of flowers. Several arrangements were also taken inside to the city offices.
Emylea Everest brought her young son, Ronan, to pay their respects.
“I think for his age, kids and then even teenagers, it’s really important to know that these officers are here to help,” Everest said. “They’re not here to be scary or get people in trouble or whatever they really want you to be safe.”
She said she’s been a victim of domestic violence.
“The relief that you feel when they come to your door … it’s huge,” Everest said.
LaDean Rupp said she had a connection to Sgt. Lee Sorensen. She said her daughter went to school with his daughter.
“It’s just sad that now someone’s father is gone,” Rupp said. “It’s made us cry. It’s … changed our schedule for the whole morning of what we do. You just think about it and want to know more about it. And it’s just sad.”
She said she hopes there’s change that comes from this deadly incident.
“I hope that there might be some protocol for other officers in the coming days responding to these domestic crises, because they are tragic,” Rupp said. “From more of a distance. I’ve seen that happen with other domestic tragedies and I would hope there would be some protocol that the officers would, could be safer.”
There’s also been local groups as well as law enforcement who have spent the day setting up American flags and tying blue ribbons around town.
Melissa Wood, her daughter Sydnee Pehrson, neighbor Kristie Bowcutt and Pehrson’s high school friends, Anne Duncan and Emma Kierstead spent the day tying blue ribbon around many tree trunks and utility poles in town.
“We really tried to find as much blue as we could in our community,” Wood said. “We have very few resources here, but we bought out the entire of all the stores of everything blue that they have.”
Perhson said the blue ribbon sold out in stores in town.
She and her friends said this gesture is a way for them to show support.
“What happens to one happens to all of us,” Bowcutt said. “We care about these families that are deeply affected by this. We care about the neighbors, people in treatment and care. I mean, they have heart.”
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