News

Ceremony dedicates 'Deputy Ryan P. Hendrix Bridge'

Heidi and Don Hendrix unveil sign.

By Bill Moss, Published: July 18, 2024

Jennifer Hensley, the Hendersonville City Council member who brought to Sheriff Lowell Griffin the idea of naming the Four Seasons Boulevard-I-26 bridge for Deputy Ryan Hendrix, said during a dedication Wednesday that the sign will give thousands of people a day a chance to remember the slain deputy’s courage and sacrifice.

“The morning of Sept. 10 of 2020 Detective Hendrix encountered evil that we will only read about or watch on television,” she said. “Many of us here will never ever face that kind of evil in part because of the men and women like Ryan.

“Now we can actually honor Detective Hendrix every time we cross the U.S. 64 bridge in Hendersonville. If you knew him, say hello to him, I miss you, or I love you, or say a quick prayer for his family for their ongoing healing. I can assure you that he will feel this love and he will know that we will never forget his sacrifice for this community.”

Hensley was among the speakers at a ceremony attended by a large crowd to dedicate the sign for the “Deputy Ryan P. Hendrix Bridge.”

Ryan 'elevated the spirit of those around him'

Sheriff Griffin thanked Hensley and the city council, county commissioners, legislators and the N.C. Department of Transportation for their support in the bridge naming.

“I will never forget the morning of Sept. 10, 2020,” he said. “None of us that knew and loved Ryan are ever going to forget that morning. Nor will we forget the days, the weeks, the months, the years that have passed. However, God has allowed me to reach a point where even though I remember that morning vividly I've been able to change my focus to the great memories that I have of Ryan. Memories of this larger-than-life wide-open personality. Memories of his ability to elevate the spirit of those around him. Memories of his drive to be the best, which made everybody around him better. His practical jokes, his dedication to his craft, his dedication to the ones that he loves, his love for this county, his love for this country and his love for our Lord.

“Ryan’s sacrifice stands as a stark reminder of the challenges that all of the men and women in law enforcement face every time they put on the badge. A bridge bearing his name is more than just words on a sign. It's a memorial that should cause people, even if only for a brief moment, to reflect and give thanks. The Ryan Hendrix Memorial Bridge is crossed every day by 20,000-plus vehicles. This monument will serve as a reminder now and for generations to go of a great man’s sacrifice, of what this world lost and of what heaven gained.”

Honored in Congressional Record

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards read the tribute to Hendrix that he entered into the Congressional Record.

Born in Asheville on Dec. 9 1985, to Donald and Heidi Hendrix, Ryan graduated from Hendersonville Christian School in 2000.  At 19 years old, he enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps and completed bootcamp at Parris Island. He graduated as a lance corporal in 2005 and served in the Marine Reserves for five years. In 2006, he volunteered to serve a tour of duty in Iraq.

He began his career with the Sheriff's Office as a detention officer in June 2012, became a patrol deputy May 2015, later became a field training officer and detective and was a member of the SWAT team.

“Ryan excelled in sports, especially baseball and soccer, and enjoyed being outdoors,” Edwards said. “On his days off, he’d often go fishing, hunting, biking or camping. While Ryan's dedication to serving his community and others is beyond the dispute, he reserved the largest piece of his heart for his two children” — his daughter, Elloree; and his son, Merritt. He was also survived by his fiancé, Emily Wilkins; his parents, six brothers and a sister.

“Ryan's life and his legacy, his courage, his bravery and his dedication to service will ever serve as a reminder to North Carolinians that freedom isn’t free,” Edwards said. “We're all blessed to have had a hero of Ryan’s type to answer the call for our community.”

'We will never stop honoring Ryan'

Addressing Ryan’s “brothers and sisters” in law enforcement, Hensley said, “We are so sorry for your loss, and we continue to be forever in debt to you and all of your sacrifices also. To Ryan’s family, your loss is incomprehensible, and our commitment to you is that we will never ever stop honoring Ryan in this community.”

His father, Don, described Ryan as sometimes mischievous, always honest and genuine.

“He loved to laugh, he loved to make other people laugh,” he said. “He wasn’t the best at everything but, boy, he was best at a lot of things. He was honorable. The fourth commandment is ‘honor your mother and your father’ and he lived that to a T. He was someone who had a right to be proud, but he was never proud. He was always humble.”

The father recalled a moment in Ryan’s life that exemplified all his life.

“When he joined the Marines, the squad that he was in had just come back from Iraq,” he said. “So after bootcamp, he asked if he could switch to a different squad that was on the way to Iraq. I said, ‘Ryan, you don't have to volunteer for this.’ He said, ‘Dad, I'm a Marine. This is what we do.’”