Who was William Evans, the police officer killed in US Capitol incident?

WASHINGTON — William F. Evans, the officer who died Friday after a man in an automobile breached a barrier near the north entrance of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, was a western Massachusetts native, a former athlete and a father of two children.

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Evans, 41, was an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police force. He served with the department’s first responders unit and was known to friends as Billy.

Congress was in recess when the incident occurred, and many staff offices were closed in observance of Good Friday. Evans and other officers were stationed outside of the north vehicle access point along Constitution Avenue when the driver, identified as Noah Green, struck Evans and a second officer. The driver then exited the car after crashing into a retractable barricade and was wielding a knife. Green was fatally shot at the scene by Capitol Police.

“Today’s loss of Officer William Evans is heart-wrenching,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in a statement. “My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and all of the members of Capitol Police who are impacted by this tragedy. I continue to pray for the other injured officer and his family.”

Here are some things to know about Evans.

Massachusetts native: Evans was born in North Adams in Berkshire County, located in western Massachusetts. He later moved to Clarksburg with his family, his childhood friend Jason LaForest, a North Adams city councilor, told The Berkshire Eagle. Evans had a daughter and a son, the newspaper reported.

“He loved making people laugh,” LaForest told the Eagle. “He loved telling jokes and carrying out pranks on his friends and family. He loved being a dad. And he was so proud to be a U.S. Capitol Police Officer. He carried his badge everywhere. He was just so proud, and his family was so proud of him. We were all proud of him.”

Athlete and musician: Evans was a 1998 graduate of Drury High School in North Adams. He played on the high school baseball team and played trumpet in the school band, according to the Eagle. According to a 1998 article from the North Adams Transcript newspaper, Evans played first base for American Legion Post 125. After one particularly good defensive game against Pittsfield, Evans noted, “For some reasons the easy ones are hard for me, and the hard ones are easy.”

In 1997, Evans helped Drury reach the Division 2 baseball finals during his junior year, where his squad lost 6-5 to Middleboro. Three days later, he hit the first home run in his baseball career in his American Legion debut.

Evans graduated from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, administrators told NPR. He was a member of the school’s baseball team, bowling team and campus activities board, university President Robert E. Johnson said in a statement to the community.

“In the past 24 hours, Billy’s close friends from WNE have been reminiscing about their time with him on campus, describing him as someone who was extremely welcoming and friendly, humble, and always willing to help others,” Johnson said.

Law enforcement dream: Evans began dreaming of joining the Capitol Police in college, LaForest told the Eagle. Evans first joined the Capitol Police force on March 7, 2003, according to a statement.

“Terrance Gainer, a former Capitol police chief, told USA Today that Evans was “a wonderful guy” who was “held in high regard by the force and Capitol staff.”

David Popp, the communications director for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said in a tweet Friday that he often saw Evans at the north barricade when he arrived for work.

“He was so friendly and professional, and seeing him was always a plus,” Popp said. “Today is a very sad day.”

Family: Evans was the son of Howard William Evans, who died on May 26, 2014, and Janice Tenczar Evans. He had one sister, Julie Evans Kucyn, of North Adams. The Evans family lives in suburban Virginia.

LaForest told NPR that Evans was a devoted family man who enjoyed sports with his children. An avid golfer and baseball fan, Evan would play mini-golf and video games with his children. He also had a great sense of humor, LaForest said.

“There isn’t a picture of those kids that doesn’t show them not just smiling but smiling broadly, and you know that there’s a laugh behind all of that,” LaForest told NPR. “Billy’s a guy who could make a trip to the dump look like a truly good time, and he certainly made every moment count with his children.”

U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., called Evans “a hero, a patriot, and a beloved father and friend.”

“Our hearts break at the death of brave Officer Billy Evans, an 18-year veteran of the United States Capitol Police force and Massachusetts native,” Markey said in a statement. “My condolences and prayers are with Officer Evans’ family and loved ones.”

State Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, handed Evans his high school diploma when he graduated.

“It’s just a shock,” Barrett told the Eagle. “To everybody that I’ve spoken to. We see these things on national TV, and in a small community like North Adams and Clarksburg, it’s a shock when it’s one of your own. This really hits home.”

Cox Media Group