BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Montana deputy killed in the line of duty was laid to rest in his hometown of Bellingham Saturday.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ryan Terpsma’s sister said she will remember him as a hero and her best friend.
Officers from around the country gathered at Christ the King Community Church to mourn Terpsma, while his family continues to heal from a devastating loss.
“Losing him is the hardest thing. The absolute hardest thing,” Kylie Terpsma, Ryan’s sister, said. “But I also know he would tell people to put a smile on their face and be strong.”
Terpsma was shot and killed in Eureka, Montana, Oct. 30 -- his 28th birthday.
According to officials, the man who shot him had already killed a woman and had a seven-year-old girl with him. Another officer was injured. The little girl survived.
“He’s a hero,” Kylie Terpsma said. “My brother is a real hero.”
The man accused of killing him died in custody days later.
Terpsma said her brother always wanted to be in law enforcement. When an opportunity came up in Montana, he took it.
Kylie said Ryan was an avid outdoorsman, and the Big Sky Country clicked for him.
“He loved the mountains, he loved the rivers and the lakes,” Terpsma said. “He loved the Montana life.”
It was hard having her brother so far away, but Kylie said she spoke to him every day. Kylie says she was proud of his work and never thought she would experience a loss like this.
Her brother gave the ultimate sacrifice, but she will always remember the smaller sacrifices he made, too.
“His only day off that week, he went and volunteered his time at a fishing derby with kids,” Terpsma said. “That’s my brother. That’s who we are.”
A memorial fund has been set up to support Terpsma’s family. You can donate here.