The funeral for Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd, 48, is set for Friday, with visitation planned for Thursday afternoon.
Byrd was shot late Aug. 11 on a sparsely populated road in southern Wake County. He was found by another deputy about two hours later, according to the sheriff's office.
Investigators are still working to piece together what happened that night. The sheriff’s office has not arrested anyone in the shooting or named any suspects.
“Ned was a friend to all, and family to many. He was the strongest smartest big brother one could ask for,” his sister, Mignon Byrd Perkins, wrote in his obituary. “He was my hero, and my rock. He has left this world too soon.”
Byrd is survived by his sister and her husband, four nephews, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins, according to his obituary.
He served with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office for 13 years, most recently with his K9 partner Sasha.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit will serve as pallbearers at Friday’s funeral.
“He was always in a good mood, good spirit because he enjoys what he does. That’s always refreshing,” Sheriff Gerald Baker said.
The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Byrd’s case.
Deputies in the area southeast of Raleigh had a series of calls the night Byrd was killed. The sheriff said Byrd left a domestic dispute call near where he was killed. The deputy may have pulled over somewhere to fill out his report on the call, Baker said.
“Following one of those calls he had the occasion to come down this road, and we believe he may have come into contact with someone and got out of his car to check on that situation,” the sheriff said.
He said Byrd left his K9 partner Sasha in the car, so it does not appear he felt threatened. Baker said his office sent someone to go check on Byrd after he did not check in.
“We monitor these officers all over the county. The cars are equipped with equipment to help track where they are and keep up with things, and there are instances where one may not be answering the radio, or things like that or out of service, which is out of the ordinary. So we have the ability to see where they are,” he said.
Byrd is the second deputy killed this month in North Carolina. Five other deputies and police officers have been shot and injured in recent weeks in the state.
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Matthew Fishman was shot Aug. 1 while serving involuntary commitment papers. He died the next day.
“Much of what this profession is, is going into the unknown when you step out of that car,” Baker said.
“When you walk up to serve an item of civil process, be it a domestic violence protective order or eviction, you don’t know what’s on the other side of the door, and you don’t know the state of mind when you look at mental illness and drug and substance abuse what a person is going through,” the sheriff said.
Byrd’s family will receive visitors Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Mitchell Funeral Home, 7209 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Providence Baptist Church, 6339 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Spike’s K9 Fund, a nonprofit that provides ballistic vests and medical support working dogs.