Bill Shanafelt Memorial
Donation protected
On July 2nd, 2018, Bill Shanafelt was killed while checking his mail, by a runaway dump truck.
Bill served as an investigator, a cop, a task force leader. A great husband to one of my best friends. A father to two wonderful daughters. A supporter and a good friend to me, as well.
The day before he died, he'd just finished painting his century-year old home. He would turn 65 later in July and as of July 1st, his Medicare officially kicked in.
The truck that ran him over split the oak tree, and it will have to be removed. If it weren't for the tree, the truck would have hit the house, and hit Tiff, who was watching TV in the living room.
This gofundme page will help plant a new tree in the old place of the oak. In Bill's memorial. And will also help Tiff and sweet Tori, with expenses and food, as they grieve, relocate, and move forward.
Thanks to John Carroll of KWTX for this story:
HAMILTON, Texas (KWTX) A 65-year-old man, run over by a dump truck with no driver, in his own yard this week in Hamilton, had more than a 40-year career as a police officer in numerous states.
Courtesy: Tiff Holland
William "Bill" Shanafelt served 28 years as police officer at Kent State then was head of the undercover drug task force in Akron, Ohio.
His wife of 25 years, Tiff Holland, told KWTX that after his time in Ohio, they moved for his new jobs.
"He started working as an investigator for the state of Hawaii and had already worked for an investigator for the state of Texas in several capacities," she said. "All this, he managed not to get shot not to get killed during a drug deal where he would go in undercover... and then a stupid dump truck ran him over and it's just senseless. It's a senseless waste and I don't know how Tori and I are going to survive without him."
The dump truck was parked across the street from Shanafelt's home at the Valero gas station in Hamilton. While the driver was inside the store, the truck's faulty parking brake failed and the truck rolled across the street and over Shanafelt who was killed instantly.
He had just checked his mail and had letters in his hand.
"They were cops in my yard, the sheriff, and I saw them place the sheet then I knew what happened,” his wife said. “I just saw the sheet and I said I know it's him I know what a sheet means like I said I was a dispatcher. I know what that means and I saw them taking the pictures and I went to the house I knew I didn't want watch that."
Shanafelt leaves behind two daughters, Morgan, 35, and 16-year-old, Tori, at home.
"Has was just the best guy the best guy you could ever ask for, whatever you want. I invited some friends over last week to watch a TV show and he said ‘OK, what should I make for them to eat because it's close to dinnertime?’ I had not even thought about it but he did," she said.
Police investigated and found the truck had a number of violations including a faulty parking break. The driver was issued a citation, but no criminal charges were filed.
"I'm really angry that he's gone and that he got hit. If there is wrongdoing that'll make me even angrier but mostly I'm just so lost without him," Holland said.
Bill served as an investigator, a cop, a task force leader. A great husband to one of my best friends. A father to two wonderful daughters. A supporter and a good friend to me, as well.
The day before he died, he'd just finished painting his century-year old home. He would turn 65 later in July and as of July 1st, his Medicare officially kicked in.
The truck that ran him over split the oak tree, and it will have to be removed. If it weren't for the tree, the truck would have hit the house, and hit Tiff, who was watching TV in the living room.
This gofundme page will help plant a new tree in the old place of the oak. In Bill's memorial. And will also help Tiff and sweet Tori, with expenses and food, as they grieve, relocate, and move forward.
Thanks to John Carroll of KWTX for this story:
HAMILTON, Texas (KWTX) A 65-year-old man, run over by a dump truck with no driver, in his own yard this week in Hamilton, had more than a 40-year career as a police officer in numerous states.
Courtesy: Tiff Holland
William "Bill" Shanafelt served 28 years as police officer at Kent State then was head of the undercover drug task force in Akron, Ohio.
His wife of 25 years, Tiff Holland, told KWTX that after his time in Ohio, they moved for his new jobs.
"He started working as an investigator for the state of Hawaii and had already worked for an investigator for the state of Texas in several capacities," she said. "All this, he managed not to get shot not to get killed during a drug deal where he would go in undercover... and then a stupid dump truck ran him over and it's just senseless. It's a senseless waste and I don't know how Tori and I are going to survive without him."
The dump truck was parked across the street from Shanafelt's home at the Valero gas station in Hamilton. While the driver was inside the store, the truck's faulty parking brake failed and the truck rolled across the street and over Shanafelt who was killed instantly.
He had just checked his mail and had letters in his hand.
"They were cops in my yard, the sheriff, and I saw them place the sheet then I knew what happened,” his wife said. “I just saw the sheet and I said I know it's him I know what a sheet means like I said I was a dispatcher. I know what that means and I saw them taking the pictures and I went to the house I knew I didn't want watch that."
Shanafelt leaves behind two daughters, Morgan, 35, and 16-year-old, Tori, at home.
"Has was just the best guy the best guy you could ever ask for, whatever you want. I invited some friends over last week to watch a TV show and he said ‘OK, what should I make for them to eat because it's close to dinnertime?’ I had not even thought about it but he did," she said.
Police investigated and found the truck had a number of violations including a faulty parking break. The driver was issued a citation, but no criminal charges were filed.
"I'm really angry that he's gone and that he got hit. If there is wrongdoing that'll make me even angrier but mostly I'm just so lost without him," Holland said.
Fundraising team (3)
Kim Chinquee
Organizer
Hamilton, TX
Tiff Holland
Beneficiary
Joan Wilking
Team member
Tamara Grisanti
Team member