Fort Worth police officer William Martin, affidavit give different descriptions of off-duty shooting
FORT WORTH, Texas - FOX 4 has obtained an arrest warrant affidavit for a Fort Worth police officer charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to an off-duty shooting earlier this month.
The affidavit and Martin's version of events have several differences.
Martin left work in his Honda Accord on Sept. 3 when he says he was hit by a Ford F-150 driven by Samuel Christopher.
Martin claims Christopher tried to flee, so he called 911 and began following him.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Christopher told detectives "he was not aware of a collision," but he noticed "Martin was following him very closely" and "every time he changed lanes Martin also changed lanes behind him."
Christopher tried to get away, but Martin "sped up and passed him, pulled his vehicle in front of […] Christopher's truck and suddenly stopped, causing Christopher to rear-end Martin," according to the affidavit.
The report says Martin exited his vehicle with a handgun and pointed it at Christopher.
Christopher claimed he was fearing for his life and began to drive away, but Martin fired three shots, striking him.
William Martin (Tarrant County Jail)
"Christopher then drove away and was again followed by Martin until on-duty officers arrived and stopped him," the report reads.
"If this affidavit is representing the truth, we have a police officer that decided he was above the law and that is unacceptable," said Alex del Carmer, the Associate Dean of Criminology at Tarleton State University. "I mean, that’s road rage, right? Here and anywhere in the United States."
Martin's legal team says the officer was trying to protect the public from a dangerous driver.
In a sworn statement to police, Martin claims he boxed in Christopher while following him, but says Christopher's truck rammed his car.
Martin says he got out of his vehicle, pointed his gun at the truck and demanded that the driver get out. When he heard the truck's engine rev and move forward, he opened fire, believing that Christopher was going to run him over.
Detectives interviewed 14 witnesses who saw the shooting.
"All witnesses stated that Martin was not in danger of being struck by Christopher's vehicle," reads the arrest warrant affidavit.
Christopher's attorneys scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning.
Martin is currently on detached duty while Fort Worth Police Internal Affairs investigate the incident.
Jacqueline Craig Arrest
Martin's legal team also claims 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.