Stephen "Mike" Gallagher

There are good guys on the police force.  Stephen “Mike” Gallagher was one of them.

On Monday night, this Lewis County, WA deputy sheriff was driving very fast to provide back-up on a domestic violence call.  His patrol car hit an elk.  Deputy Gallagher passed away on Tuesday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

KIRO7 in Seattle, which is a champion for those experiencing domestic violence, broke the story.

Deputy Gallagher was a six-year veteran of the Lewis County Sheriff’s department.  He is an Army veteran who served eight years including deployments in Haiti and Kosovo.

He was married and the father of two small children.

His passing brought Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield to tears during a news conference:

Deputy Gallagher died in the line of duty, doing what he loved and what he was very good at.  And that is making a positive difference in the people’s lives that he touched.

May you rest in peace, Deputy Gallagher.  And, may guardian angels watch over your loved ones.