Deputy shot on duty will still ‘help strangers’ after his death, North Carolina cops say
A deputy killed in a North Carolina shootout “will continue to help strangers” through organ donation, officials say.
Ryan Hendrix died after responding to a call in Mountain Home early Thursday, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. The area is roughly 20 miles south of Asheville.
A suspect, who authorities identified as Robert Ray Doss Jr., was also shot and killed, the Hendersonville Times-News and other media outlets reported.
Officials say someone called 911 at about 2:50 a.m. to report a vehicle break-in. A homeowner and suspects had started shooting back and forth, according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies tracked down a suspect, they “were fired upon,” officials say.
“A Henderson County deputy was struck by suspect gun fire and critically injured,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Deputies returned fire at the suspect and he did not survive.”
Hendrix, who authorities later identified as the injured deputy, was rushed to Mission Hospital in Asheville with a gunshot wound to his face and died.
“Early this morning while the world slept, Ryan responded to assist a family needing help when they became innocent victims of a violent encounter,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday in a Facebook post. “We all know the tragic outcome, but Ryan refuses to let the story end there.”
As an organ donor, officials say Hendrix “will continue to help strangers for a lifetime, even after making the ultimate sacrifice.”
Hendrix, 35, had two kids and planned to get married next month, authorities say.
Gov. Roy Cooper addressed the incident on Twitter, saying he and his wife were thinking about the fallen deputy.
“Kristin and I are praying for Ryan Hendrix, who was shot and killed this morning while trying to keep his community safe,” the governor wrote late Thursday. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Dept. and the entire community.”
Deputies say they took a person of interest into custody but didn’t release additional details. Sheriff Lowell Griffin during a news conference Thursday described Doss as a “career criminal” with arrests in four other states.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting, officials say.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Deputy shot on duty will still ‘help strangers’ after his death, North Carolina cops say."
