‘Heartbreaking’: Vigil for FWPD sergeant draws tearful stories from his officers, family

FORT WORTH — A lone Chevrolet Tahoe parked in front of the South Division police station collected all manner of tributes.
Bright flower bundles covered its hood. Handwritten notes adorned its fenders. A beaded rosary dangled from one door handle. A sign on a door with blocky letters and the painted handprints of small children read, “Happy birthday, G-pa.”
The tributes splashed color onto the patrol SUV’s all-black exterior, paying homage to Fort Worth police Sgt. Billy Randolph, the longtime officer killed Monday when a driver who police say was intoxicated struck him.
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Scores of peers, officers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and locals gathered Wednesday evening in the South Division parking lot in Randolph’s honor. As the sun dipped, his fellow officers took to a small stage to share stories about a family man they described as a mentor to many and a friend to most.
“He was more than just a brother in blue. He was my brother,” Scott Thompson, who first served with Randolph in 2007 on the department’s robbery unit, said to the crowd.
Randolph, 56, had been working a night shift by choice, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said, though he could have retired years ago or leveraged his tenure to work in other roles. While some in leadership opted to “lead from a distance,” Randolph chose to lead “from the front,” the chief said.
That was the case early Monday. He was working alongside his officers to clear a crashed tractor-trailer from Interstate 35W when he was struck while standing on an exit ramp to Sycamore School Road.
The woman who police identified as the driver, 25-year-old De Aujalae Evans, remained in the Tarrant County jail in lieu of $750,000 bail Thursday. She faces a felony charge of intoxication manslaughter causing the death of a peace officer. Court records do not list an attorney representing her.
Fort Worth City Council member Charles Lauersdorf spoke during the vigil, offering condolences to Randolph’s family and the sergeant’s fellow officers. He also channeled his anger at the situation, saying the “system failed” and casting Evans as a “criminal who never should have been allowed on the street.”
Evans was on probation at the time of the crash, court records show. Last year, she was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. In April, she pleaded guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence: 72 months of probation.
Asked about the 2023 case, Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “We evaluate each case our office receives on a case-by-case basis. Some factors we consider in making our decisions are the facts of the case, the available proof, witnesses, the criminal history of the defendant, and the wishes of the victim.”
As part of the South Division, Randolph worked “midnights” in the Ida District, which encompasses areas hemming I-35W in southern Fort Worth. After one of his officers took the stage and began to speak, explaining how difficult the last two days had been, more than a dozen other officers on the sergeant’s team joined him behind the podium.
They described Randolph as a thorough and dedicated officer whose sense of humor bubbled to the surface, often through banter between calls. Jake Montgomery, an officer who worked under him, said the team referred to Randolph by his last name or “sarge” most of the time, but the team had a nickname for him when they were outside the range of his hearing aids: “Pepaw.”
“He meant so much to us,” said Sgt. Justin Tullis, who has worked with Randolph for four years. “He was my friend. He was my co-sergeant. I looked up to him. Everybody on this stage did.”
Randolph’s death brought back bad memories for some. Tina Frausto, whose brother is a Fort Worth police officer, said she remembered attending a memorial for Garrett Hull, a Fort Worth officer killed in a gunfight with three men suspected of robbing a bar in 2018. The shooter was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2022.
“It is just heartbreaking. Every time,” said Frausto, 59. “It’s too much.”
The last speaker was one of Randolph’s brothers, Matt Randolph. The younger Randolph, who lives in Maryland, said hearing stories about his brother from his fellow officers showed he lived as a hero and didn’t just die as one.
Through tears, the younger brother asked the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday.” The sergeant would have turned 57 on Wednesday.
A celebration of Randolph’s life will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at Christ Chapel Bible Church, 3701 Birchman Ave. in Fort Worth.