The woman accused of driving drunk and hitting and killing a Fort Worth police officer on Interstate 35W Monday morning was on probation, according to Tarrant County court records.
DeAujalae Evans, 25, was charged in 2023 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, court documents show. Evans pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to 72 months of probation.
The original document submitted to file the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge said Evans shot another woman on March 1, 2023. Other court documents indicate the woman was her romantic partner.
Evans now faces a charge of intoxicated manslaughter of a peace officer . Fort Worth police said she drove the wrong way on an off ramp on southbound I-35W at Sycamore School Road and hit Sgt. Billy Randolph with her vehicle. Investigators believe Evans was drunk when she hit Randolph.
Evans attempted to flee the scene, with some officers pursuing her while others got Randolph into a police Tahoe and took him to JPS Hospital, where he died, police said. Evans got about a quarter-mile away before she got out of her car and tried to flee on foot. She was arrested shortly after.
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A judge in Tarrant County amended Evans’ probation conditions to include mandatory attendance to a batterer intervention program.
The original terms of Evans’ probation included not committing any other crimes in Texas, allowing unscheduled visits by a probation officer, submitting to regular drug tests, completing 240 hours of community service and paying fines totaling nearly $1,000.
Evans was also not allowed to have any harassing or threatening contact with the woman she assaulted or possess a firearm or ammunition and had to abstain from alcohol and drugs, according to court documents.
In a post on X, Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, a former president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, wrote, “The woman who killed Sgt. Billy Randolph should never have been out of jail .”
According to court records, the aggravated assault charge that Evans faced was a second-degree felony, which can carry a punishment of two to 20 years in prison under Texas law.
“Sadly, this is what happens when society demands zero accountability for those who commit violent and dangerous crimes,” Ramirez wrote.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker posted in agreement with Ramirez, writing, “The Randolph Family is without a son, father, husband, grandfather and friend today because of deadly criminal behavior and unwarranted leniency in our justice system. Rest in peace Sgt. Randolph. You are a hero.”
When asked about why the District Attorney’s Office offered Evans a plea bargain in the assault case, District Attorney Phil Sorrells said in an emailed statement, “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.”
The DA’s Office filed a petition Tuesday to revoke Evans’ probation and hold her without bond pending a hearing, according to court records. Evans was originally given probation with deferred adjudication. Prosecutors are now asking for the case to be adjudicated and for Evans’ punishment to be reassessed.
Evans is being held in the Tarrant County Jail. It’s unclear whether she has obtained an attorney to represent her in the current case.
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