HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina say a sheriff's deputy was fatally shot by a break-in suspect, and that the suspect was then killed when other deputies returned fire.
News outlets report 35-year-old Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix died Thursday afternoon, hours after being shot when he and other deputies responded to a call about a vehicle break-in.
Sheriff Lowell Griffin said a homeowner noticed someone breaking into a car. Griffin said the man and the homeowner exchanged gunfire before deputies arrived. The sheriff said the suspect appeared to comply with commands to show his hands before shooting Hendrix in the face.
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office posted the following on Facebook:
"It is with a very heavy heart the family of Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix and Sheriff Lowell Griffin announce Ryan’s passing.
Early this morning while the world slept, Ryan responded to assist a family needing help when they became innocent victims of a violent encounter. We all know the tragic outcome, but Ryan refuses to let the story end there.
Even in passing Ryan continues to exemplify a servant’s heart. You see, Ryan was also an organ donor. He will continue to help strangers for a lifetime, even after making the ultimate sacrifice.
Ryan’s family wants everyone to know that “Ryan was doing the job he was born to do and he died doing the job he loved”.
