Family members, fellow officers honor fallen Washington State Patrol trooper at memorial in Tacoma

Grieving family members, loved ones and fellow officers gathered to honor a fallen state trooper Saturday.

29-year-old Tara-Marysa Guting died in the line of duty just over a week ago, on the evening of December 19th.

Guting was investigating an unrelated collision on an on-ramp to southbound SR 509 when she was struck by two vehicles.

At the memorial, she was honored with music, prayer and scripture, and tributes from fellow officers and grieving family members.

Fellow officers spoke, and expressed their sadness, saying her memory is forever etched in their hearts:

“The world is worse-off without Tara,” said one fellow trooper who spoke at the memorial.  “But she’ll never be gone.  I know myself and every single person in this room will carry her with us every single day and that we will all try to be a little bit more just like Tara.  Honor and service, united in purpose.”

One of Tara’s sisters also spoke at the podium, remembering her as a committed and loving family member.

“Small but strong, gentle but fierce, loving but unafraid to be a little wild,” she said.  “Strength does not always look intimidating and kindness doesn’t mean weakness.”

The fallen trooper’s sister also told of Tara’s guiding purpose as a law enforcement officer in the Washington State Patrol:

“Her ‘why’?  It was simple, but not easy,” she said.  “It was to change the face of law enforcement, turning all the negativity into something positive.  She was exactly where she felt called to be, bringing the light into the darkness.”

On bended knee, fellow officers pay their respects to fallen officer Tara Guting at her memorial service in Tacoma Saturday. (Photo: Washington State Patrol)

Another fellow trooper described Trooper Tara Guting as filled with caring love:

“We cherished Tara’s love, her joy, her happiness and her laughter that she shared with everyone in her life,” he said.

According to the police department, a second car struck the trooper as she was lying motionless in the road. That vehicle continued southbound on SR 509 and fled the scene. The first car that struck Guting stayed.

“The initial impact caused the trooper to be thrown into the right travel lane of southbound SR 509, where the trooper was incapacitated and lying motionless in the roadway,” the Tacoma

A WSP vehicle as part of a memorial for Trooper Guting. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

Police Department previously wrote.

Guting was the 34th trooper to be killed in the line of duty in WSP’s 105-year history. She was 29 years old and graduated from the academy a little over a year ago.

Guting’s memorial service was held at the Life Center Church’s Central Campus in Tacoma.

The Washington State Patrol emphasized that the service would be focused “on being surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues.”

Saturday’s service did not include a law enforcement processional.

Because space was limited, the memorial service was live-streamed.

“The family wishes to thank the public for the many condolences received and the widespread outpouring of support,” WSP said.

Guting had an eight-year military career with the Army National Guard as a signal intelligence analyst.

She is survived by her husband, Timothy.