Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Montana
End of Watch: Friday, October 30, 2026
Deputy Sheriff Ryan Terpsma was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call at 119 Lone Pine Trail in Eureka.
Around 8:23 p.m., Deputy Terpsma and a Eureka police officer arrived at the home and were fired upon by a man inside the home. After wounding the officer and killing Deputy Terpsma, the suspect fled with a juvenile, leading law enforcement on a chase. During the pursuit, the suspect fired at officers, disabling two patrol vehicles, before being apprehended at a roadblock on U.S. 93.
Investigators discovered a woman who had been shot and killed at the home of the disturbance. The suspect was in custody and was to be charged with two counts of deliberate homicide and one count of attempted deliberate homicide. Six days later, while in a detention facility, he suffered a medical emergency and died.
Deputy Terpsma was killed on his 28th birthday.
Deputy Terpsma had served with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for five months and previously served as a detention officer with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office for over a year.