What should have been a simple, everyday call turned into heartbreak on Friday morning in Vero Beach. Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow was a beloved member in the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and is now dead after being shot while serving an eviction notice.
Terri was 47 years old and had served her community for 25 years. Coworkers say she was the kind of deputy who never backed down from helping others – whether she was dispatching, patrolling, or working in the civil unit. To many, she was the steady, reliable heart of the department.
On Friday, Terri joined several deputies at a home in the Bermuda Club community. A woman needed help removing her adult son, Michael Halberstam, after weeks of being afraid of his behavior. Deputies had responded to the home multiple times earlier in the month, but this time the mother said she simply couldn’t live with him anymore.
As deputies stepped through the doorway, Halberstam unexpectedly opened fire.
Terri was struck and fatally wounded. Another deputy was shot in the shoulder but is expected to recover. A locksmith who was assisting them was also shot and remains in critical condition. Halberstam was hit when deputies returned fire and he is also in critical condition.
Sheriff Eric Flowers said the tragedy is particularly painful, coming so close to Thanksgiving, a time when families should be gathering, not grieving. He also pointed out that serving eviction notices is normally among the most routine activities his deputies handle; therefore, the loss will be all the harder to accept.
In the 100 year history of the sheriff’s office, Terri is only the second deputy ever lost in the line of duty.
Colleagues remember her as a person who always showed up, always cared, and always put others first. A department, a family, and an entire community are mourning a deputy who gave her life trying to keep others safe.
