MONTANA — A 28-year-old Bellingham native, Ryan Terpsma, was killed in the line of duty while responding to a disturbance in Eureka, Montana, on Oct. 30.
Terpsma was serving with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office when he and a Eureka police officer were shot during a pursuit, the family announced.
“Ryan gave his life in the line of duty as a Lincoln County (Montana) Sheriff’s Deputy on what was his 28th Birthday, October 30th,” Terpsma’s family wrote. “While our hearts are shattered by his sudden and unexpected absence, we take comfort in knowing that Ryan died doing what he loved, serving the community he cared for so deeply. He laid his life down in the ultimate act of sacrifice, embodying the very definition of a hero.”
Terpsma died at the scene while the other officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was 50-year-old Matthew Dye, who fled with a 7-year-old girl. While officers were in pursuit, he fired shots at two patrol vehicles before eventually surrendering at a roadblock.
The 7-year-old suffered minor injuries, but investigators later learned that a 46-year-old woman was also killed at the initial crime scene.
On Wednesday, Dye experienced a medical emergency in his jail cell and died in the hospital.
The Deputy Ryan Terpsma Memorial Fund was created by the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association to aid the family with funeral expenses and other costs related to the incident.
A celebration of life is also in the works in Terpsma’s hometown of Bellingham.
“Ryan was more than a dedicated public servant; he was the center of our family, a loving son to his parents Travis and Robin, a protective brother to his sister Kylie, and a loyal friend to so many,” the Terpsma family wrote. “From a young age, he possessed a deeply held desire to help those who needed it and to protect his community. Becoming a Deputy Sheriff was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream – a calling he answered every single day, with immense pride, integrity, bravery, and above all joy.”
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