Roll of Honor
Incident
Investigator Thomas Smith and Lieutenant George Hendrix were killed when their Bell OH-58A helicopter crashed at Kenneth Copeland Airport at 9:30 a.m. Lieutenant Hendrix was piloting the aircraft, one of two donated to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office by the United States military. Witnesses stated that the helicopter had just taken off when it plummeted straight down. Bystanders pulled both deputies from the wreckage and administered CPR but were unable to save them due to intensive spinal, head, and internal injuries. Investigator Smith was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-9102BE3F- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Thomas is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Investigator Smith gave the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Thomas Jay Smith served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Investigator Thomas Jay Smith is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 15.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Jay Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Jay Smith Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Jay Smith is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Military Service
Thomas Jay Smith served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Visit Thomas Jay Smith’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
12 officers from Tarrant County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
