Fort Worth Police Officer William Martin arrested for off-duty shooting, released on bond shortly after

FORT WORTH, Texas - William Martin, a Fort Worth police officer who was at the center of a controversial 2016 arrest, has been charged in an off duty shooting that injured a man earlier this month.

Martin was in his personal vehicle on Sept. 3 when police said a truck hit his car near I-35W and Morningside Drive and took off.

According to a statement he gave police, Martin’s vehicle was struck by a red Ford F-150 that did not stop to exchange information and drove off.

Martin told 911 dispatch he began following the truck, but the truck attempted to ram his vehicle.

Then, Martin told dispatch shots had been fired.

The driver of the truck, later identified as Samuel Christopher, was struck multiple times but survived. 

Christopher’s attorneys tell FOX 4 he was "unarmed" and that he’s cooperating with law enforcement related to the investigation.

Now, 17 days later, Fort Worth PD says probable cause exists for Martin to be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Fort Worth police say Martin did a "jail walkthrough" during the day Friday, meaning he walked in with his attorney to turn himself in, was fingerprinted, posted bond and walked out. He did not spend any time detained.

Fort Worth police did not make the news of Martin’s arrest public until after regular business hours on Friday at 5:20 p.m. 

The department issued a statement saying: "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."

Martin’s mugshot from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office was not made immediately available, which is uncommon for typical arrests.

A Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson could not specify why Martin’s mugshot was not released and did not say how much his bond was. He suggested that we file an open records request.

Martin has been placed on "detached duty" pending an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident.

Calls For Officer Martin’s Firing

Kyev Tatum, president of the Ministers Justice Coalition, has been vocal about this case because of Officer Martin’s disciplinary history.

"He does not hold the temperament to be a police officer," Tatum said. "He was an off-duty officer who decided to escalate the situation by running after the person who was in the hit-and-run and turned it from a hit-and-run to a road rage."

Martin has been with the Fort Worth Police Department 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 originally called police to report a neighborhood dispute before her conversation with Martin became confrontational. Cellphone video showed Martin wrestling Craig and one of her daughters to the ground.

The incident sparked a nationwide response 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.

The family of Jacqueline Craig, who is now deceased, later received a $150,000 settlement from the city in a civil rights lawsuit.

William Martin

In the days since the most recent incident in September, civil rights leaders in Tarrant County have called for Martin's firing.

"So we’re not going to be satisfied until a jury of his peers have an opportunity to hear all the facts and we’re able to know all the facts," Tatum said.