TACOMA, Wash. — Members of law enforcement, family and friends gathered at the Tacoma Dome on Monday to honor the life and service of fallen Pierce County Deputy Cooper Dyson.
The 25-year-old deputy died in a crash on Dec. 21 while responding to aid his fellow deputies on a domestic violence call in Parkland.
He is survived by his pregnant wife and their 3-year-old son. Dyson began serving with the department in 2018.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor spoke of the 'terrible privilege' to honor Dyson's life and service. He said Dyson's heart was "aligned to a willingness to sacrifice on behalf of others. A willingness to accept a difficult calling, all its obligations... and yes, its risks."
"Duty, and obligation, and sacrifice. He was pursuing these three commitments when we lost him," Pastor said.
Lead Pastor George Bedlion Jr. of Puyallup's Bethany Baptist Church delivered the opening scripture and remarks at the service, speaking of Dyson's love for God, his growing family, and his job. Bedlion shared that the Bible Dyson kept in his patrol car remained intact after the fiery crash that took Dyson's life.
Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy David Rose said at the memorial, "Cooper loved to be counted on and he loved helping those that needed help. And once he would get home each morning and he'd take his boots off, he'd put the same dedication into being the best husband and father he could be."
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department established a fund to help support the family.
"This is a tremendously sad loss. Our deputy was responding to help other deputies in a dangerous domestic violence situation. It is another hard reminder of the dangers and difficulties our deputies face," said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor.
