Fallen officer Evans honored at Capitol
WASHINGTON – Slain U.S. Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans was lauded for his dedication to country, love for his job and for a mischievous sense of humor as President Joe Biden and congressional leaders honored him during a memorial service Tuesday.
Evans is lying in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda in a special tribute to the fallen officer.
He was killed earlier this month in an attack near the Senate side of the Capitol building, where he and another officer were manning a barricade.
Biden, looking intently upon Evans’ family as he spoke, said he didn’t know Evans personally but he came to know people just like him growing up and that they were incapable of saying no when they were needed.
“He was defined by his dignity, his decency, his loyalty and his courage,” Biden said.
Biden said his prayer for the family was that one day the memory of Evans would bring a smile before it brings a tear.
“I promise you it’s going to come. It just takes a while. It takes a while, but when it comes, you’ll know because he’s still with you. He’s still in your heart,” Biden said.
Evans, 41, and another officer were struck on April 2 by a car driven by
Noah Green, 25, who came out of the car with a knife and was shot to death by police. Investigators believe Green had been delusional and increasingly having suicidal thoughts.
Evans’ casket was placed in the Capitol Rotunda for the second such memorial ceremony this year for a force that has edged close to crisis in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
Members of the National Guard lined the street and saluted as the hearse carrying Evans’ flag-draped casket entered the Capitol complex.
His former colleagues gathered on the Capitol’s East Plaza Front while church bells rang in the distance. His family, including his two children, gathered to watch as his casket was carried up the Capitol steps.
Evans’ death came three months after a violent mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters blew past security barricades and attacked the Capitol, injuring dozens of Capitol Police officers.
Officer Brian Sicknick died after engaging with the rioters, though officials do not yet know exactly what caused his death. Two men have been arrested and charged with assaulting him with bear spray.
Just six Capitol Police officers have been killed in the line of duty in the force’s nearly 200-year history, according to the department. Another officer, Howard Liebengood, died by suicide in the days after Jan. 6.