Tarrant County identifies, mourns deputy who died after passing out on weekend call
A deputy with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office passed out Sunday while on a call in north Tarrant County and later died at a hospital, authorities said.
The deputy was identified by the agency as Billy W. Scheets. He was 55.
After Scheets passed out, a second deputy at the scene began CPR. Scheets was rushed to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle but later died.
“We ask that you keep the family and our team in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days,” according to a statement released by officials with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
Authorities said the deputy was responding to a call when he suffered a medical problem about 5 p.m. Sunday. No information was released on the nature of the call.
Officials with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death for Scheets.
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office officials and other authorities from surrounding agencies gathered at the hospital for hours Sunday to show their respects and escort Scheets to the medical examiner’s office.
“It was an unbelievable outpouring of kindness,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “We are humbled by the overwhelming support of the community and surrounding agencies.”
Scheets had been with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office since 2003.
Those who were at the hospital Sunday included Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office deputies, dispatchers, CID, CSSU, Tarrant County Law Enforcement Association, members from the chaplains office and the TCSO Family Alliance.
Area police agencies that were in attendance at the hospital included Fort Worth, Azle, Pelican Bay, Lake Worth, Haltom City, Bedford, White Settlement, Burleson, Everman, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Watauga and Grapevine.
Firefighters from Lake Worth and officials from Tarrant County Constable Precinct 3 and Precinct 6 also were at the hospital.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 11:27 AM.
