Brian Gentry gave more than 22 years of service to the city and his life was honored through a candlelight vigil Monday by the Fort Worth Police Department.
After experiencing a medical emergency while on duty a day earlier, the 53-year-old officer died Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to the department.
Men and women in sharp blue uniforms lined up outside the doors of the department’s Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex as the Gentry family joined community leaders to say their final goodbyes.
“We stand here in Brian’s honor, reunited in grief, remembering his life and service, and most importantly, his family,” Fort Worth police Chief Eddie Garcia said.
Gentry began his career with the Fort Worth Police Department in August 2003. After graduation, he served the city in numerous capacities, including SWAT and the fugitive unit as a U.S. Marshals Service task force officer, Garcia said.
A candlelight vigil honoring Fort Worth police officer Brian Gentry was organized on Monday, Oct. 26. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
“This evening is about reflection. It’s about fellowship, and to honor a man who impacted the lives of so many. Tonight, with his family, fellow officers, our city leadership, and our community, we gather with heavy hearts in remembrance of Officer Brian Gentry, who always answered the call to serve, to protect, and who continually put his life on the line for the safety of others,” Garcia said. “As we stand here today and have this candlelight vigil in his memory, we remember that behind Brian’s badge was a life that was full of love for his family, his friends, and for this great city.”
Mayor Mattie Parker shared that she worked with Gentry for six months, recalling how he talked about his two daughters all the time.
“If he wasn’t navigating Fort Worth or trying to figure out where we’re going next or what the next assignment was, he was making sure I knew that his girls were outstanding, that they were the most beautiful, most athletic, most special young women,” Parker said as two girls sitting in the front row wiped away tears.
“I feel honored to get to meet you tonight. No one that speaks tonight is going to take away any hurt or pain, and I understand the next few days are going to be a blur of grief,” Parker said. “His entire career was about other people, about his country, about his city, about his family, about the other men and women in uniform, whether it was U.S. Marshals or the SWAT team. Some of the toughest assignments belonged to Brian Gentry.”
Officer Brian Gentry, 53, died on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after experiencing a medical emergency while on duty a day earlier, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. Shambhavi Rimal srimal@star-telegram.com
A box of tissues was passed among friends and family as community leaders and Gentry’s colleagues shared memories of him.
Fort Worth Police Department Officer Brian Gentry Fort Worth Police Department Pushes everyone to do better
Fugitive Officer Will Figueroa talked about how just last Monday they sat down and ate lunch together for what he did not know would be the last time. “I’m grateful we had that moment,” he said as he expressed his privilege of serving alongside Gentry.
“To Brian’s family, our hearts go out to you. I hope you feel the love and support of this team, and that it brings some sort of comfort and strength during this difficult time,” Figueroa said. “To our brothers and sisters in blue who knew Brian, I struggled to find the right words because there’s just so much to say. So if I crack a joke today, it’s probably just my way to keep it together.”
Figueroa spoke to those who never had the chance to work with Gentry, saying he pushed everyone to be better not for the glory, but because he wanted everyone to make it home safe.
“We could finish a 12-hour shift and be absolutely exhausted and hungry, but if the call came out or if a teammate needed help, he was the first one to volunteer,” Figueroa said.
“We will remember the man who taught us to do things without ever asking for recognition. To Brian’s family, thank you for sharing him with us,” Figueroa said in heavy voice. “We know he was so much more than the officer we knew, and we can only imagine the depth of the loss that you feel.”
Eric Mekosch, a SWAT officer, described Gentry as an intense guy. “Some would say he was a pit bull. It was that intensity that made Brian so fun to play jokes on,” he said. “The intensity that made Brian so fun to mess with was the same intensity that helped him perform heroically.”
Mekosch shared details of a hostage incident on the afternoon of July 18, 2019. Officers were dispatched to a situation where they were pinned down by gunfire while three children were held hostage by a gunman. When it was decided that the situation could no longer continue, the SWAT commander launched a hostage rescue operation — the most dangerous, high-stress operation a SWAT team is called to do, Mekosch said.
Gentry was the first through the door that day. Although the entrance was barricaded by a refrigerator and a couch, Gentry found a way inside and all three hostages were saved without injury, Mekosch said.
The Medal of Valor, the highest award in the Fort Worth Police Department, was awarded to Gentry after the operation, Mekosch said.
“Brian loved being on the SWAT team. Some would say he was born to do that. Brian loved us, and we loved him. As much as he loved us, we held no comparison to his daughters, Taylor and Madison. Every time there was a track meet or a basketball game or some other event, Brian had to tell us all about it. I want you guys to know how proud of you he was and how much he loved you,” Mekosch said.
A final call bell rang as a farewell to Officer Brian Gentry, badge number 3403 while everyone gathered lit their candles and bowed their heads in a moment of silence.
This story was originally published October 26, 2026 at 10:14 PM.
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Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.