Protecting The Palm Beaches – November 6th, 2026 – Brought to You By Good Greek Moving And Storage
Bottom Line: This weekly feature is designed to recognize those who've paid the ultimate price in service and to serve as a reminder of what our police risk to keep us safe.
Following a 17% rise in Line-of-duty-deaths nationally in 2024, significant progress was made in 2025 as LODs declined by 46% year-over-year to the lowest level this century. Otherwise, it was a mixed bag. A total of 347 officers were shot in the line of duty – a 2% increase year over year.
- We lost 90 heroes in the line of duty in 2025 including 8 in Florida
- We’ve lost 79 heroes in the line of duty in 2026 including 3 in Florida
We've lost these heroes since the previous update:
- In North Carolina, Detective Jeffrey Smith died from injuries sustained following the foot pursuit and subsequent struggle to detain a suspect on the run. The suspect was arrested by responding officers. Jeffrey is survived by two children.
- In Montana, Deputy Ryan Terpsma (pictured) while murdered on his 28th birthday in an ambush while responding to a disturbance call. Upon arriving on the scene law enforcement was fired upon wounding an officer and killing Ryan. A woman was also murdered in the home of the disturbance call. The suspect fled the scene, however he was arrested by responding law enforcement and has been charged with multiple homicides amid other charges.
As we reflect on those we’ve lost, please remember the families of our fallen as well. The average age of the fallen is 40; the average tour-of-duty is 10 years. In addition to losing 79 law enforcement professionals in the line-of-duty this year, there are 52 widows and 106 children who’ve lost a parent. Remember to back the badge and spread the word. They need us just as much as we need them.