Vigil to honor Fort Worth Sgt. Randolph. Suspected drunk driver who hit officer identified
A candlelight vigil will be held to honor Fort Worth police Sgt. Billy Randolph, who is being remembered as a selfless leader and community servant after he was killed in the line of duty Monday when he was hit by a suspected drunk, wrong-way driver on I-35W.
The vigil is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Fort Worth police South Patrol Division, at 3501 W. Risinger Road.
Police identified the suspect who struck and killed Sgt. Randolph as De Aujalae Evans, 25, of Fort Worth.
Randolph was working a crash scene on Interstate 35W southbound near Sycamore School Road early Monday morning. The freeway had been shut down for about three hours because of an 18-wheeler crash that caused a fuel spill and fire. The driver of the 18-wheeler was helped by bystanders and did not suffer any injuries, according to police.
Randolph was standing on the exit ramp from I-35W to Sycamore School Road when Evans, driving a red 2020 Nissan Versa, drove the wrong way up the exit ramp and struck the officer, police said.
Officers rushed Randolph to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Robert Mitchell, a family member who spoke for the rest of Randolph’s relatives, said Randolph was a good man who served his country for four years in the Air Force, then his community for almost 30 years with Fort Worth police. He was talking about plans to retire in the next couple years.
“Today we lost a good man,” Mitchell said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “We lost Billy, a faithful husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and a good friend to me.”
Randolph is survived by family including his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Kayla.
“He has been committed to serving his community and he has done so for over three decades in an honorable manner,” Mitchell said.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said at the news conference that Randolph could have retired already but stayed with the department because he loved his job. He was the kind of leader who wouldn’t ask officers under his command to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.
That’s why he was there Monday, Noakes said. He could have delegated the work at the crash scene to his officers, but he didn’t.
“There was no way he would have them out there working that scene unless he was out there working with them,” Noakes said.
Noakes said Randolph’s death was preventable if the driver, who investigators believe was intoxicated, had been sober.
“I don’t know how many more times we have to say it: There is no excuse for drinking and driving,” Noakes said. “It is too easy to make plans ahead or just use a ride-share service.”
The chief said Evans tried to flee after hitting Randolph. Officers, besides those who were putting the sergeant into a police Tahoe to take him to the hospital, gave chase. Evans stopped the car after driving about a quarter mile and then tried to flee on foot, Noakes said.
Investigators have submitted blood samples for testing to determine if Evans had alcohol in her system and, if so, how much, Noakes said. They believe based on preliminary investigation that she was intoxicated.
Evans faces charges including intoxication manslaughter causing the death of a peace officer or firefighter. She remains in police custody and will be booked into the Tarrant County Jail with bond set at $750,000, police said.
Evans was on probation after she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in a 2023 shooting.
In a room at the department’s south division station filled with officers and family members, Noakes said every officer there was in attendance voluntarily to show support to the family. Officers throughout the department were struggling Monday to cope with the loss of a police sergeant.
“I ask myself every day: With what officers face day in and day out, night in night out, how do they keep doing it?” Noakes said. “Officers don’t face a life or death situation every day, but they come to work every day knowing that might be the day.”
In the past week, a Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy was shot and wounded during a standoff at a Fort Worth home while trying to serve warrants on a child sexual assault suspect. That suspect died in the standoff last Wednesday. On Sunday night, a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy was wounded by a suspect who had been pursued from Tarrant County, authorities said. And two law enforcement officers were wounded in a shootout with a suspect who was killed in Kaufman County on Saturday. Those officers and deputies are expected to make full recoveries.
Noakes said Randolph was a brother to his colleagues in the department and that while the department has had difficult days recently, none have been as hard as this. But he knows his officers will be able to heal.
“We will get through this,” Noakes said. “We will be able to smile again, have good memories and laugh.”
A procession of officers, family and friends accompanied the sergeant’s body from JPS to the medical examiner’s office Monday morning.
Funeral arrangements are pending. A temporary memorial site also has been set up outside the South Patrol Division office.
Friends, coworkers and members of the community stopped by the memorial site on Monday to pray and leave flowers and notes.
Beronica Fullbright and her family brought a flag and a marker so others could write messages on the flag. Fullbright told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV about the moment she heard Randolph had been killed.
“My heart sank when I heard it. I heard it on the news that an officer got hurt, but I didn’t know who,” Fullbright said. “Then I saw that a friend posted it was Sgt. Billy Randolph and I jumped out of bed and ran to my husband crying and said, ‘Billy was killed this morning.’ I text messaged his wife and told her I would bring that flag up here and that I would love for her to take it home so she can read everything that everybody has wrote about him.”
Neighbor Henry Smith told KTVT that Randolph was like a second father to his son, and their sons were best friends. Randolph’s son died in 2014, according to an obituary.
“He’s with his son now, and that’s a good thing,” Smith told KTVT. “I know he missed his son a lot. That’s not the way you want to reunite, but at least they’re together now.”
Local nonprofit organization Tarrant County Blue is collecting donations to support the family of the fallen officer.
All donations will be given directly to the family, the organization said.
“In these tragic circumstances Tarrant County Blue wants to support the Randolph family as they grieve the loss of their loved one who gave everything in the line of duty,” said Greg Morse, co-founder of Tarrant County Blue and CEO of Worthington Bank. “Our mission is simple, to support those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep our community safe and this is how we want to honor Sgt. Randolph’s memory.”
Donations may be made by check to Tarrant County Blue, P.O. Box 1659, Fort Worth, Texas 76101. All donations are a tax-deductible contribution. For more information, contact Sammie Slocum at sammieslocum@worthingtonbank.com.
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 3:36 PM.
