Fallen Fort Worth police Sgt. Billy Randolph honored at heartfelt funeral service
NORTH TEXAS — Law enforcement officers, the community, friends and family remembered the life of Fort Worth Police Sgt. Billy Randolph at his procession and funeral on Saturday. He served the Fort Worth Police Department for almost three decades before being killed while on the job earlier this week.
A sea of blue and red lights stretched endlessly along the streets for Randolph's procession on Saturday morning.
"This really touched my heart because I have a nephew who recently became an officer," Angela Earle said.
Earle was among those who gathered on the somber day to remember Randolph, who was tragically struck and killed while working at the scene of a fuel spill on I-35W on Monday.
"At the beginning of the day, all of us would like to go home because we all have family," Earle said. "It just touched me in such a way that I wanted to pay my respects to the family and to show love to the community and for the fallen officer."
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who served as president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, said Randolph lived his life with compassion and care.
"Billy was an amazing man, and his legend will live on forever," Ramirez said. "Billy Randolph was a hero. He's a hero to me, and he's a hero to everybody out here. He's a hero to every single person that he's ever worked with. Billy Randolph touched the lives of thousands of police officers not just in Fort Worth, Texas, but around the country. His service made Fort Worth safer."
Hundreds of law enforcement officers from North Texas and across the country showed their love and support for Randolph at his funeral. Those in attendance reflected on his dedication to his career, country and family.
"He really cared," Henry Smith said. "People say good morning to you all the time, but they don't really mean good morning. It's just in passing. When Sgt. Randolph said good morning, he really wanted to know are you having a good morning?"
Smith, who lived in the same neighborhood as Randolph for more than two decades, mourned his friend at the funeral at Christ Chapel Bible Church.
"Be the Billy that Billy was," Smith said. "Reach out to somebody. You never know. The one thing that person needs that morning is a hello, how are you doing, or a good morning. I'm going to do that. That's how I'm going to honor his legacy and his memory is to try and be like Billy."
The loss of the 29-year law enforcement veteran, friend, husband, father, and grandfather leaves a hole in the hearts of the hundreds who pair their respects. They said Randolph's legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched.