FORT WORTH, TX - Sergeant Billy Randolph, a 29-year veteran officer with the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) died from injuries sustained in the line of duty after he was struck by a vehicle on I-35 West while he worked to clear a traffic accident from earlier in the morning.
A press release from the FWPD stated that during the cleanup and investigation following an accident, Sgt. Randolph was standing outside of his patrol vehicle when a driver drove through the accident scene and struck him. Randolph was fatally injured in the collision and was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital where he later succumbed.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes told WFAA, "After she struck him, she continued driving trying to flee the scene. After about a quarter of a mile or so, she finally stopped, but then got out and tried to flee on foot, running from the scene."
“It was clear that there was an accident, it was clear that the road was blocked off and this person still ran through," Noakes noted. He added that De Aujalae had plowed through protective barricades before striking Sgt. Randolph.
Noakes told reporters "We have a lot of hard days in policing, but none are as hard as this," Noakes said in a press conference. "Sgt. Billy Randolph was and is a member of the Fort Worth PD family. He's a brother to us."
He added, "Our hearts are broken. Sgt. Randolph was one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever been around. “First of all he loved his family, he was a husband and a father, and they are grieving now.”
Evans has been booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a $750,000 bond according to the authorities.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker released a statement to X saying that the driver’s “senseless act has left a void in our hearts and serves as a stark reminder of the risks our officers face every day to keep our streets safe.”
A press release from the FWPD stated that during the cleanup and investigation following an accident, Sgt. Randolph was standing outside of his patrol vehicle when a driver drove through the accident scene and struck him. Randolph was fatally injured in the collision and was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital where he later succumbed.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Randolph was arrested shortly after a brief pursuit and identified by police as 25-year-old De Aujalae Evans of Fort Worth. Evans has been charged with Intoxication Manslaughter Causing the Death of a Peace Officer or Firefighter.The Fort Worth Police Department is grieving the loss of an officer who died in the line of duty on the morning of August 12, 2024.
— Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) August 12, 2024
Sgt. Billy Randolph, #2797, died this morning while working an accident scene.
The procession from JPS Hospital to the Tarrant County Medical… pic.twitter.com/xrnncWyIoL
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes told WFAA, "After she struck him, she continued driving trying to flee the scene. After about a quarter of a mile or so, she finally stopped, but then got out and tried to flee on foot, running from the scene."
“It was clear that there was an accident, it was clear that the road was blocked off and this person still ran through," Noakes noted. He added that De Aujalae had plowed through protective barricades before striking Sgt. Randolph.
Noakes told reporters "We have a lot of hard days in policing, but none are as hard as this," Noakes said in a press conference. "Sgt. Billy Randolph was and is a member of the Fort Worth PD family. He's a brother to us."
He added, "Our hearts are broken. Sgt. Randolph was one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever been around. “First of all he loved his family, he was a husband and a father, and they are grieving now.”
Evans has been booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a $750,000 bond according to the authorities.
https://t.co/dhUjjvjNRJ pic.twitter.com/2aLqGkTr3R
— Mayor Mattie Parker (@MayorMattie) August 12, 2024
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker released a statement to X saying that the driver’s “senseless act has left a void in our hearts and serves as a stark reminder of the risks our officers face every day to keep our streets safe.”
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Comments
2024-08-14T08:46-0500 | Comment by: James
GOOD, Ft. Worth pigs have been earning it .... It's HIGH TIME they got what they have been asking for ..... GOOD .........