WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — As Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd was laid to rest Friday, family, friends and even strangers paid their respects.

What You Need To Know

  • Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd, who was fatally shot Aug. 11, was laid to rest Friday

  • Among the mourners were at least eight towing companies, some of which helped raise a U.S. flag along the procession route

  • Those in the towing business say they feel a kinship with first responders

In the crowd along the procession route on Glenwood Avenue were a handful of towing companies.

Jerry Barbour, who owns Barbour's Towing Service, worked alongside other towing companies to help raise an American flag Friday that Byrd's casket would travel under on the way to Providence Church, where a service was conducted.

"We've been a supporter of Wake County police department for a long time," Barbour said.

In total, he says they have done this about 10 times for fallen first responders.

"Firefighters, police officers in our 50 years of being here in Raleigh," Barbour said. "​Supporting the blue, supporting our law enforcement community. They support us and it's kind of a brotherhood of first responders."

It's a brotherhood all employees in the towing industry understand. Because when an accident happens, it's not just first responders who show up, but the towing companies, too.

Raleigh Towing general manager Krista Tomasso knows that well.

"In the city of Raleigh we can do anywhere from two to three rotations a day," Tomasso said. "We are right out there on the side of the road with the police officers and fire and EMS. They block for us, we block for them. We watch their back, they watch our back."​

At least eight towing companies from Raleigh came out Friday to honor Byrd.

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