Video: Fort Worth officer shoots robbery suspect who reached for his gun

FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth Police Department is sharing more information about a robbery suspect who was shot by a police officer over the weekend.

The department released video of the confrontation between the officer and 37-year-old Walker Cadd.

Cadd is accused of robbing a 24-hour vape shop on McCart Avenue early Sunday morning.

The clerk calls 911 reporting a man with a box and a crowbar stole things. 

"We just had a guy come in with a, like a box in his hands, and a crowbar, and he stole a bunch of nicotine juices," the clerk said.

Video from inside the store shows a man wearing a black hoodie and a mask walking into the store with a box and crowbar in hand. He uses the crowbar to smash displays and gather items into his box.

Responding officers spotted a man wearing black running through an open field behind the shopping center. They later found him hiding in a backyard shed in a residential area just beyond the field.

"The officer drew his weapon and immediately began giving verbal commands for Cadd to show him his hands," said Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes. "Cadd refused to comply with the officer’s verbal commands, stating ‘no’ several times."

The officer, a 21-year department veteran, calls for back-up.

The video shows Cadd standing up in the shed and walking towards the officer. He was not armed at the time.

"The officer warned Cadd multiple times that he would shoot him. Cadd ignored those warnings and kept advancing directly towards the officer," the chief said.

As both the officer and Cadd exited the shed, the officer used his left hand to grab Cadd to prevent him from escaping through a hole in the fence. At that point, Cadd turned and tried to take the gun out of the officer’s right hand, Chief Noakes said.

"At this point, fearing the suspect was attempting to take his weapon, the officer fired two shots from his pistol. One shot struck Cadd in the leg," the chief said. "Based on the information we have from interviews so far, that’s when Mr. Cadd reached for the officer’s gun, and officers are trained to not let anyone take their gun, because often what happens in situations like that is it can turn deadly for that officer or an innocent resident that may be nearby."

Cadd was later taken to the hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. No one else was hurt.

He’s now charged with theft and attempting to take an officer’s weapon.

Cadd did not have the crowbar with him at the time of the shooting. Investigators later found it discarded in the field. But Chief Noakes said the officer who fired the shots did not know that at the time.

"It’s dark. It’s in the middle of the night and the officer’s by himself. He’s trying to make the best decisions he can, even retreating from the shed at one point to try to create distance so he could continue giving commands," he said.

The chief said the whole incident could have been avoided if the suspect had simply listened to commands to back up and show his hands.

But once he reached for the officer’s weapon, Chief Noakes said officers are trained to not let anyone take their gun because it can be a deadly mistake.

"We want the members of our community to know that even while they are home sleeping, our Fort Worth police officers are working around the clock to keep you safe," he said. "No officer goes to work with the desire to harm anyone. But their commitment to protecting the public sometimes means confronting danger and making split-second decisions about how to protect themselves and others."

An investigation is ongoing, however, the chief expresses support for how the officer handled himself with the uncertainty if the man still had the crowbar or another weapon. 

"Had there been other officers available, maybe there would’ve been other options. But in that scenario, using the handgun was the correct choice to make, according to the training we provide," he said.

The officer involved will be placed on leave while the shooting is under review.