‘A loyal friend’: Hundreds mourn Darrin McMichael, Arlington officer killed in hit-and-run

Arlington motorcycle officer Darrin McMichael was a family man who loved his work and was the type of person anybody could call a best friend, his family, friends and coworkers said at his funeral Wednesday morning.

McMichael, 51, was killed Sept. 21 in a hit-and-run while he was on his way to work. Authorities with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said McMichael hit the rear of a sport utility vehicle when it slowed down because of traffic on Interstate 20. The officer fell onto the left shoulder of the freeway and was run over by a dark-colored sedan that did not stop after hitting him.

On Wednesday, in a large auditorium at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, hundreds of people remembered McMichael for his nearly 25 years with the Arlington Police Department and the way he impacted the lives of those around him. More than half of those in attendance were in police uniform.

Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said at the funeral that McMichael was a police officer with integrity and a passion for serving his community.

“He was a true example of the impact one man can have on his community,” Jones said. “May Darrin rest in peace, knowing his legacy lives on in the hearts of all of us.”

Wyatt Beard, a best friend of McMichael since kindergarten, said during the service that the officer was the kind of man who you knew would always be there for you.

“We went through some tough times, and those are the times I treasure the most,” Beard said. “I was always there when he needed me and, more importantly, he was always there when I needed him. Even when I lived 10 hours away, Darrin was just a phone call away.”

Lynette McMichael, Darrin’s wife, wrote in a letter about her husband — which she asked Arlington Police Chaplain Rick Burgin to read — that Darrin was her only true love.

“I am in so much pain because I feel cheated out of the plans we had to grow old together,” Burgis read from Lynette McMichael’s letter.

Kyla Nevill said Darrin McMichael was the best friend to her husband, Mickey Nevill. When Mickey Nevill died, Kyla said McMichael was there for her. There was nothing anybody could do to lessen the grief of losing her husband, but McMichael was determined to be there. He “stood guard” for her, she told those who gathered for the funeral.

He was “fierce, protective, forgiving and a loyal friend,” Kyla Nevill said. “If Darrin was your friend, he was your best friend.”

She said Mickey Nevill and Darrin McMichael were chaotic best friends.

“Their brotherhood shenanigans have me thinking that Saint Peter has his hands full with them up there in heaven,” Kyla Nevill said. She imagines the two of them in heaven drinking bear and eating tiny tacos and hot dogs together.

Nevill, Beard and fellow motorcycle officer Eddie Chappell all spoke of the love McMichael had for his wife.

“It was so absolutely undeniable how in love with you he was,” Chappell told Lynette McMichael from the stage.

Chappell said McMichael loved God, his family, his farm, his motorcycle, drinking bourbon, smoking cigars, and spending time with the law enforcement motorcycle club, the Iron Circle.

When it came to his two daughters, Chappell said, Darrin talked about them all the time.

“He talked about [his eldest daughter], how he was proud of how she found who she wanted to be, and called [his younger daughter] his ‘mini me,’ “ Chappell said.

Beard said he knew Lynette McMichael thought of Darrin McMichael as her protector, best friend, first love and the best part of her.

“I want you to know that you were his protector,” Beard said. “You were his the best part of him. You were his best friend. And you were his everything.”

Everyone who spoke told Lynette McMichael that they would be there for her in anything she needed.

Nevill asked anybody present who knew Darrin McMichael to remember his family and what they may need as a way of carrying on his legacy. That when they need to do maintenance on their cars, his daughters probably needed maintenance on theirs. When their homes need seasonal work, Lynette McMichael’s home does, too. That when their parents need help with finances or computers, Darrin McMichael’s parents probably do, too.

“The truth is we never stop missing great people like Darrin,” Nevill said. “The best we can do is honor them by taking care of their families.”

Chappell said he and McMichael was fast friends. With McMichael standing at 6 foot 6 inches and Chappell being 5 feet 6 inches, he told those gathered for the funeral that “it always looked like it was bring your kid to work day when we worked together.”

“We both enjoyed complaining and we both enjoyed sharing our two cents whether you wanted it or not,” Chappell said.

Before he left the stage, Chappell addressed some words to McMichael. Emotionally, he said McMichael’s death had broken his heart.

“I’m really going to miss our early morning text messages every single day before work,” Chappell said, tearing up. “I’ll miss our 9 a.m. coffee breaks at the Racetrak, eating lunch with you every day, our motorcycle trips, smoking cigars with you, drinking bourbon. I’ll miss your encouraging words, your sound advice, your laughs, your love and most of all your friendship. You’ll never be forgotten and your family will be taken care of. I love you, pal.”

Beard shared similar feelings, with similarly strong emotion. He mentioned how almost every time he and McMichael would hang up the phone after talking to each other, they would say, “Buddy, I love you.” Choking up, Beard said those words to McMichael one last time.

After the service, officers from dozens of law enforcement agencies across Texas, from local departments to those from Smith County, Houston, Abilene and Biloxi participated in a procession. They included sheriff’s offices, municipal police departments and officers, detectives and leaders from school district and university departments, hospital police and airport police. An honor guard provided a gun salute, played bagpipes and drums and carried the casket.

A flyover by three helicopters included two law enforcement aircraft and one CareFlite helicopter. A final call was made over police radio to announce McMichael’s “last call.”

When it was time to load the casket into a hearse, one of the bagpipers played “Sgt. MacKenzie.”

Motorcycle police from all over the state brought their rides and escorted a procession of police vehicles that stretched for miles, headed to the cemetery. McMichael’s body was transported with emergency lights all around, with Arlington police leaving a gap in their motorcycle formation where McMichael would have ridden.

The funeral does not signify an end to investigations into his McMichael’s death. At a news conference Tuesday, police announced that the reward for anybody who provides information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for his death has been increased to $20,000.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation, said it is asking truckers and trucking companies who may have been in the area between 6 a.m. and 6:05 a.m. to come forward with any dashboard-camera footage they may have. Police know the vehicle that killed McMichael was a dark-colored sedan, but said Tuesday at the news conference they don’t have any other information, including what sort of damage the vehicle may have sustained in the hit-and-run.

Anybody with information is asked to reach out to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office at 214-749-5189 or contact Crime Stoppers at 877-373-8477. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.