The Ferris State University Alumni Association and everyone at Ferris wishes to extend
our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former student and
South Dakota police officer James Ryan McCandless, as we mourn a tragic loss.
As noted in the Big Rapids Pioneer newspaper, McCandless, 28, a 2005 Ferris graduate, passed away from injuries sustained in a shootout that occurred during a routine stop on Tuesday.
The Pioneer also reported that while attending Ferris, McCandless had the opportunity to work for the Mecosta County Sheriff's Department.
Per comments made by the Mecosta County Sheriff Todd Purcell and Ferris Criminal Justice professor Greg VanderKooi, who instructed McCandless at Ferris' Law Enforcement Academy, the Sheriff's Department and the Ferris Criminal Justice program will add his photo to their memorials for fallen officers.