BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — Sergeant Bryan Washko with the Texas Department of Public Safety in Belton speaks on how the sudden death of Fort Worth Police Sergeant Billy Randolph is affecting law enforcement in Central Texas.
Washko talks on personal experiences he's had during his time on the force with patrolling the highways as well as speaking on two former colleagues of his who tragically passed away while on duty.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s a heartbreaking sight —
“He has a family and they had to lay him to rest, because that could have been easily avoided,” said Sergeant Bryan Washko with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Fort Worth Police Sergeant Billy Randolph was on the force for nearly 30 years — while working on a scene of a crash last Monday night, he was hit and killed by a drunk driver.
“Obviously she was impaired and didn’t see the lights and ran right through that scene and ultimately took his life and could have taken a lot of others,” Washko said.
— a chilling reminder for Texas DPS Sergeant Bryan Washko of Belton.
He tells me these types of tragedies can happen anywhere-including right here in Central Texas
“About 10 years ago, I was nearly struck head on while on patrol on a Sunday morning by an individual who was impaired and it was his 11th DWI,” said Washko.
“It’s a good thing I was where I was on the roadway out on patrol,” he added.
But some aren’t so lucky.
“Trooper Tom Nipper, he was a Bell County trooper for many, many years. November 4th, 2017, he was struck on I-35 working traffic,” Washko said.
“Trooper Coddle and Trooper Nipper, Trooper Coddle’s crash was in 2001, he was inclement weather driving to Waco when he collided with an 18-wheeler."
Reminders for every officer on duty, that every day isn’t guaranteed,
“We see a lot of the training, we see a lot of the video at the academy, we hear the fatalities and experiences of other officers," Washko said.
"We know the dangers of it going in and that’s kind of the mindset you have to have is if this is our calling, it’s in our heart to do so, it’s like anything."
— and to not take anything for granted.
“We were once kids, teenagers, were young adults at one point — we’re still human beings, we have families at home, we like to have a good time, we just do it safely, we’re here for your safety and to protect the citizens of Texas,” Washko said.
“It’s not just the police officers that suit up every single day, it’s the community that supports them," said Tarrant County Commissioner, Manny Ramirez.
"It’s the thousands of people that have showed up to honor Billy’s life and legacy and to help us really remember him."
You can watch the full interview with Sergeant Washko on our YouTube page.
