19 Year Veteran Tarrant County Deputy Killed Friday Night

UPDATE: 5:24 pm 6.15.2019 – Tarrant County officials now say the Medical Examiner has ruled a pulmonary embolism complicated by blood clots caused Sgt. Shepherd to fall in the parking lot, badly injuring his head.  Sheriff says he seems to have managed to recovered enough to have climbed into his vehicle, where he was found by another employee.

UPDATE: 4:35 pm 6.15.2019 – Tarrant County officials now say they believe accidental causes led to the death of Sgt. Keith Shepherd Friday night.   Officials say they think the deputy fell in the parking garage near his car, badly injured his head, and then sat down in his vehicle.  He was declared as having passed at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.  A massive search by armed officers lasted several hours Friday night, with officers seen walking the streets and searching with guns drawn.  Videotape was gathered, officials said, from a three block surrounding area.  Shepherd was declared as having passed at Harris Methodist Hospital Friday night.

Updated 6/15/2019: This report has been corrected to reflect that the sheriff did not say the deputy had been shot.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Authorities say a Texas sheriff’s sergeant has died after being found in his car “with significant injuries to his head.”

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn says Sgt. Keith Shepherd was found Friday night inside his personal car in a downtown Fort Worth parking lot. The parking lot is across from the county jail, where Sheriff’s Department Chief of Staff David McClelland says Shepherd was assigned.

Deputies who found Shepherd initially reported that he had been shot, but Fort Worth police, who are leading the investigation, say there’s no evidence that a shooting occurred. Authorities have not indicated how Shepherd suffered his injuries.

Shepherd had gone on break and colleagues searched for him when he didn’t return.

Waybourn says Shepherd worked for the department for 19 years.

(Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

FORT WORTH – WBAP/KLIF – Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourne confirms a 19 year veteran of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department has died after a Friday evening shooting in Fort Worth.  The deputy is identified as Sgt. Keith Shepherd.   Officials say Shepherd was on a lunch break and did not return to work; he was reportedly found with a gunshot wound to the head.

Description of a suspect not released; armed officers were seen combing the parking garage used by Tarrant County employees and Sheriff’s Department employees; guns drawn in downtown Fort Worth during the search for much of Friday evening.

More details as they become available.

(Copyright, All Rights Reserved, WBAP/KLIF 2019).