State House of Representatives honors fallen officer

March 28, 2019

The state House of Representatives approved a resolution Wednesday that honors a Kittitas County sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty. Kelley Payne reports from the state Capitol.

PAYNE (:60) Deputy Ryan Thompson was shot and killed March 19th following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Kittitas. On Wednesday, the Washington State House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution, honoring his life and service to the community.

13th District Representative Alex Ybarra from Quincy offered the resolution.

YBARRA (:16) “This is the saddest thing that can happen, especially anywhere in the state, anywhere in the country, to lose an officer in the line of duty. Those folks put on the uniform to keep us safe. We're praying for him and their family and everybody that was affected by this.”

PAYNE: The resolution noted that Thompson was known for his positive attitude, regardless of the situation, dedicated to his family first, and protected his community with the same vigilance.

A second officer wounded in the shooting was Benito Chavez, a 22-year-old police officer from the town of Kittitas. He was released from a Seattle hospital over the weekend.

Kelley Payne, Olympia.