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Fort Worth police officer on duty hit by alleged drunk driver and killed

Fort Worth Police Sgt. Billy Randolph, RIP.

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A Fort Worth police officer died after being hit by a car while in the line of duty.

According to a release, Sgt. Billy Randolph died on the morning of August 12 while working a motor vehicle accident on I-35W near Sycamore School Road. During the course of the cleanup and investigation, he was standing outside his vehicle when another vehicle drove through the accident scene and struck him.

The driver of that vehicle is in police custody.
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UPDATE 8-12-2024, 3:11 pm: The Fort Worth Police Department has identified the suspect who struck and killed Sgt. Billy Randolph as De Aujalae Evans, 25, of Fort Worth. Evans has been charged with 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 on a bond of $750,000.

Randolph was working a crash scene at I-35W near Sycamore School Road. I-35W had been shut down for approximately three hours after an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer hit a guardrail around 2:40 am, spilling fuel and catching on fire. With the help of bystanders, the truck driver was able to get out of the vehicle with minor injuries.

Sgt. Billy RandolphFWPD

Randolph was standing on the exit ramp from IH-35W to Sycamore School Road when Evans, in a red 2020 Nissan Versa, drove the wrong way up the exit ramp and struck Sgt. Randolph.

Fort Worth Police Officers rushed Randolph to JPS Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

In a press conference, FW police said that Evans tried to flee, first driving a quarter of a mile, then stopping and trying to flee on foot, running before officers took her into custody.

A candlelight vigil for Sgt. Randolph will be held on Wednesday, August 14, at 7:30 pm at South Patrol Division, 3501 W. Risinger Rd., where a temporary memorial is currently located.

This is open to the public. General Parking is available only at the Vivian J. Lincoln Library at 8829 McCart Ave.; and at Crowley Middle School at 3800 W. Risinger Rd.

Randolph served in the Air Force before joining the Fort Worth Police Department as a patrol officer in 1994. He served with the Fort Worth Police Department for 29 years, most recently assigned to South Patrol.

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Christmas in Cowtown

Festive Fort Worth makes new list of top cities to celebrate Christmas

Visit Fort Worth - Facebook

There's much to love around the holiday season in Fort Worth, including meeting Cowboy Santa.

Fort Worth's festive spirit is on full display, from Cowboy Santa's visits in the historic Stockyards to the sky-high tree in downtown's Sundance Square. It's no wonder the city made WalletHub's list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas 2024.

Merry Fort Worth lands at No. 57 spot on the new list, which annually ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Fort Worth ranked as the No. 50 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how the city performed across the study's five main categories this year:

No. 16 – Costs rank
No. 38 – Generosity rank
No. 55 – Observance rank
No. 59 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 65 – Shopping rank

No matter what the rankings say, jolly Fort Worth residents can enjoy a host of holiday happenings this winter, including numerous light displays and dazzling neighborhoods throughout town. From local restaurants and bars creating festive feasts and delightful cocktail experiences, to great places to ice skate, there is plenty to get Fort Worth residents in the holiday spirit this year.

Fort Worth households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Fort Worth household is expected to spend about $1,082 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,013 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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