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Day said the slain sergeant \"lived for that job and those deputies.\"

\"He loved mentoring and building people,\" said Day.

Billy Ray Cyrus, who performed at the service, also called Ron Helus a \"hero.\"

\"Ron understood what was most important. He valued people and experiences,\" added the sergeant's niece, Lauren Smith. \"In life and in death he put others before himself.\"

When the report of the shooting came in, authorities said Ron Helus was checking in with his wife on the phone, as he often did during his shift. The last thing he told her was, \"I love you.\"

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