EUREKA, MT. (THECOUNT) — Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Terpsma, 28, and Merrisa Moore Walker, 46, were shot and killed Friday night during a shooting at a residence on Lone Pine Trail in Eureka, Montana. A Eureka police officer and a juvenile girl were also wounded. Authorities identified Matthew David Dye, 50, of Kalispell, as the suspect. He was arrested after allegedly firing at deputies during a pursuit.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Terpsma and a Eureka police officer responded to a disturbance call at 118 Lone Pine Trail at approximately 8:23 p.m. Friday, October 30. Both officers were shot during the response.
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Terpsma died at the scene. The Eureka police officer suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Investigators later determined that Walker had also been shot and killed at the residence. A juvenile girl was wounded, treated at the scene and released, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Dye fled the scene toward Kalispell with a 7-year-old girl. Flathead County sheriff’s deputies located him and pursued his vehicle.
During the pursuit, Dye allegedly fired at the pursuing deputies, disabling two patrol vehicles. Law enforcement officers established a roadblock on U.S. Highway 93. Dye stopped just before reaching it and surrendered, according to investigators.
The sheriff’s office said Dye would face charges and was expected to make an initial appearance in Lincoln County Justice Court sometime next week. The Daily Inter Lake reported that he was being held in the Flathead County Detention Center pending a deliberate homicide warrant.
At the request of Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation took over as the lead investigative agency. The investigation remains ongoing.
In a statement, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office expressed grief over Terpsma’s death and thanked the community for its support during what it described as a difficult time for the county.
“Our hearts are broken,” the office wrote in a separate social media message, asking the public to keep the fallen deputy’s family, friends and law enforcement colleagues in their thoughts.
The shooting occurred in Eureka, a community in northern Lincoln County in northwest Montana, near the Canadian border and west of Kalispell. The reported incident address was 118 Lone Pine Trail.
Google Maps: 118 Lone Pine Trail, Eureka, MT 59917 (reported incident address; map pin not independently verified).
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