Six days before Thanksgiving, Indian River County Deputy Terri Mashkow walked up to a Vero Beach home to do what she had done countless times before: serve an eviction and keep the peace. Within moments, that ordinary duty became her final act of service. When Michael Halberstam, the man being evicted at his mother’s request, allegedly grabbed a gun and opened fire, Mashkow and another deputy were ambushed in a storm of bullets. She was fatally struck; her partner and a locksmith were wounded as officers fought back and critically injured Halberstam.
In the days that followed, Mashkow was posthumously promoted, her badge number now a symbol of sacrifice. Loved ones remembered a devoted mother, stepmother, and protector who helped neighbors even off duty. As investigators sift through Halberstam’s criminal history and disturbing online posts, one truth cuts through the chaos: a community’s safety was bought with a life given in quiet, everyday courage
