Deputy Rick Rhyne, 58, was killed in the line of duty on Thursday, Dec. 8.
His funeral was held in Owens Auditorium on the campus of Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst.
Firefighters with their trucks joined citizens lining the route to the burial site at Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Aberdeen.
Rhyne was shot in the 700-block of Morrison Bridge Rd. in southeastern Moore County, east of Southern Pines.
The deputy was responding to a trespassing call when authorities said he was shot by Martin Poynter. Poynter then shot and killed himself.
Rhyne had been with the Moore County Sheriff's Department since 2007 and is believed to be the first Moore County deputy ever to be killed in the line of duty.
Deputy Tim Monroe worked with Rhyne in Moore County for many years. He says you couldn't find a finer man or law enforcement officer.
"Everybody be thankful for what they got, especially this time of the season," said Monroe. "That's the most terrible thing for any family."
Rhyne leaves behind a wife, a son and two grandchildren.
Rhyne served as the police chief of the Village of Foxfire, N.C. for 26 years before retiring. He previously worked as a police officer for the Village of Pinehurst for approximately seven years.
A memorial fund has been set up, and anyone wishing to make a donation to the "Deputy Rick Rhyne Memorial Account" can take it to any First Bank or may mail it to First Bank at P.O. Box 125, Carthage, North Carolina 28327.
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