Fort Worth police officer William Martin arrested in connection to off-duty shooting
FORT WORTH, Texas - William Martin, a Fort Worth police officer who was at the center of a controversial 2016 arrest, was arrested in connection to an off-duty shooting earlier this month.
On Sept. 3, Martin was in his personal vehicle when police said a truck hit his car near I-35W and Morningside Drive and took off.
Martin told police he chased after the driver and the pick-up then tried to ram his vehicle. Martin shot the driver, who received non-life threatening injuries.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: William Martin ID'd as officer in hit-and-run shooting
FOX 4 has learned the off-duty officer involved in a hit-and-run shooting investigation is the same officer involved in Jacqueline Craig's viral arrest in 2016. The Fort Worth Police Department has yet to identify an officer, but police confirmed the officer discharged a firearm and also pointed out the truck driver received non-life-threatening injuries.
Fort Worth police say after completing its investigation, they found there was probable cause to charge Martin with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He was arrested and booked into the Tarrant County Jail.
Martin has been placed on detached duty pending an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident.
"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," wrote the department in a press release.
Martin has been with Fort Worth Police for 19 years, which included a high-profile controversial arrest.
In 2016, Martin was accused of using excessive force in the controversial arrest of Jacqueline Craig and her teenage daughter.
Craig had called police to report a neighborhood dispute before her conversation with Martin became confrontational. A cellphone video showed Martin wrestling Craig and one of her daughters to the ground.
The incident sparked a viral video and accusations of Officer Martin using excessive force. Charges against both were later dropped.
In 2017, Officer Martin appealed a 10-day suspension in the Craig case. That was ultimately denied.
William Martin
The family of Jacqueline Craig, who is now deceased, later received a $150,000 settlement from the city in a civil rights lawsuit.
In the days since the most recent incident, civil rights leaders in Tarrant County have called for Martin's firing.