Fort Worth police officer killed in the line of duty remembered for his enthusiasm, dedication
FORT WORTH – It's not just the Fort Worth Police Department mourning the loss of their brother in blue. Many retired Fort Worth officers now serve as TCU police and worked closely with Sgt. Billy Randolph.
Mark Windsor met Randolph almost 30 years ago when they went through the Fort Worth Police Academy together.
"He was extremely enthusiastic," Windsor said. "He was happy to be there. He enjoyed police work and enjoyed the academy as well. He had a youthful exuberance that was admirable. He just made it fun."
Randolph was standing outside his vehicle on I-35S near Sycamore School Road when a 2020 Nissan Versa drove through the accident scene and struck him. Police arrested that vehicle's driver, 25-year-old De Aujalae Evans.
Windsor said Randolph carried his enthusiasm into patrol work on his first assignment on the east side of Fort Worth.
"Yeah, to the point where he was so excited to come to work every day, you'd kind of like go easy, you know, kind of like you're driving some people crazy," said Sgt. Robert Abbott with the TCU Police Department.
Sgt. Abbott had been with the Fort Worth Police Department for about 10 years when Randolph joined the force.
"He wanted it," Sgt. Abbott said. "He was like a sponge. He wanted to observe. You couldn't slow him down."
In his 29-year tenure with FWPD, those who worked closely with him say he never lost that drive.
"The job can wear on you and a lot of people lose their enthusiasm and they just want to get to that retirement," said Mike McCormack, who is now a detective with the TCU Police Department. "And he was never down. He was always, what are we doing next?"
They say that's why he worked an overnight shift Monday, helping clear an accident scene on I-35, even though he was a sergeant. Randolph was hit and killed by a driver police say was intoxicated.
"Just man, you stop in your tracks," Sgt. Abbott said. "You just, it's hard."
The news has devastated the TCU Police Department.
"I was heartbroken because he had a level of… It was the exuberance, the resilience," said Windsor. "He's been through heartache, he's been through tragedy, and he fought through it all. And just knowing that this happened to him."
Randolph should have been celebrating his birthday with family today and then his retirement in just a few years.
His fellow officers say the entire community will feel Randolph's loss.
"Most people slow down, but not Billy," McCormack said. "He was just 100 percent. We're not police officers, we're peace officers. He was all about not just catching the bad guys, but serving people. There will be a thousand stories about his family and what a great dad he was, a great grandfather and a kind husband, but he was about serving everybody. The citizens of Fort Worth want the kind of officer Billy was on their streets at night."
TCU police say this football season won't be the same without Randolph. He used to work every game alongside them.
Now, they pledge to stand beside his wife and family, along with Fort Worth police, in the coming days and months.
"The support that that family is going to get is going to be amazing," said Sgt. Abbott. "Fort Worth police are going to stand by her 100 percent and they're going to do right. So I think she'll be okay and he'll be looking out and saying, 'Wow, they did this for me. Didn't need to, but I appreciate it. Thank you.'"
