Fort Worth police fire officer William Martin over off-duty shooting
Fort Worth fires officer involved in road rage shooting
The Fort Worth police officer arrested for a road rage incident while off duty has been fired. The police department said Officer William Martin used "unjustified force" when he shot a driver he said struck his car. Martin is already facing aggravated assault charges for what happened.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth police officer William Martin, who was at the center of a controversial 2016 arrest, has been fired after an off-duty shooting in September.
Martin was in his Honda Accord on Sept. 3 when he claimed a Ford F-150 hit his car near I-35W and Morningside Drive and took off.
The officer explained he pursued the driver, Samuel Christopher, after perceiving him to be a threat to public safety.
Martin then got out of his car and pointed a gun at Christopher.
Christopher claimed he was fearing for his life and began to drive away, but Martin fired three shots, hitting and injuring him.
"All witnesses stated that Martin was not in danger of being struck by Christopher's vehicle," read an arrest warrant affidavit for Martin.
Off-duty Fort Worth officer shot man as he was trying to drive away, attorney claims
The attorney representing the man who was shot by an off-duty Fort Worth police officer laid out his client's version of events on Tuesday. Those events are very different from those described by Officer William Martin, who has since been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Martin and Christopher gave conflicting stories about the incident.
The officer was initially placed on restricted duty while internal affairs investigated the incident.
William Martin
On Sept 20, Martin was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Martin was then placed on detached duty.
After a review of the internal affairs investigation, Martin's chain of command determined that the level of force used in the incident was unjustified.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neal Noakes agreed with the assessment and fired Martin.
"The Fort Worth Police Department is filled with officers who do the job right every day. Our department will continue to hold employees accountable who do not meet the standards expected of a Fort Worth police officer, and in doing so, we will continue to be transparent and open with our community," reads a statement from the Fort Worth Police Department.
Martin had been with the Fort Worth Police Department for 19 years.
Jacqueline Craig Arrest
Martin's legal team previously claimed police were "motivated" to arrest their client by a 2016 incident, captured on video, that attracted national attention.
Martin was accused of using excessive force while arresting Jacqueline Craig and her daughter, after Craig called police to complain about her neighbor.
Video showed Martin wrestling Craig and one of her daughters to the ground.
Martin served a 10-day suspension and the city ended up settling a civil rights lawsuit with the Craig family for $150,000.