Fort Worth police officer William Martin has been fired following an administrative investigation into an off-duty shooting that occurred in September, the department said.
“After a thorough review of the Internal Affairs investigation, Officer Martin’s chain of command determined that the level of force used was unjustified,” the Fort Worth Police Department said in a news release.
Police Chief Neil Noakes agreed with the determination and terminated Martin’s employment Friday, Oct. 18, according to the release. Martin had served with the Fort Worth Police Department for 19 years and was most recently assigned to the Support Bureau.
Martin called 911 the afternoon of Sept. 3 to report that someone had hit his personal vehicle on Interstate 35 and then fled the scene. Martin, who was off-duty at the time, followed the red pickup truck for several minutes on southbound I-35W.
When Martin’s vehicle and the pickup finally came to a stop, the pickup rammed Martin’s Honda, according to Martin’s signed statement. Martin said he fired his gun out of concern for his safety after he saw the pickup start to move forward.
The driver of the red pickup, Samuel Christopher, told police he wasn’t aware he had collided with Martin’s vehicle . He saw Martin following him, but didn’t realize he was a police officer.
Doug Hafer, Christopher’s attorney, said Martin opened fire “as Mr. Christopher was moving away from and never towards Officer Martin.”
According to Hafer, the shooting had near-fatal results, and one of the bullets narrowly missed Christopher’s spine.
Martin was placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of a Major Case Unit investigation. They determined that probable cause existed for the offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and Martin was arrested Sept. 20 . He’s been on detached duty since that time, police said.
Mike Schneider, Martin’s Fort Worth attorney, said in a statement that the firing was the “foreseeable result of a garbage investigation” and that police leaders ignored evidence that went against the outcome they wanted.
This case should serve as a warning to police officers, he said.
“Despite your sworn duty under state law, if you see a crime being committed and citizens placed in danger while you are off duty it’s probably best that you ignore it and turn your back…because this administration will almost certainly turn their back on you,” he wrote.
In 2016, Martin was involved in the arrest of Jacqueline Craig. Video of the arrest that went viral showed Martin wrestle Craig to the ground after she called police during a dispute with a neighbor and Craig and the officer argued. Martin was suspended for 10 days without pay following the incident. In 2022, the city agreed to pay Craig $150,000 to settle a lawsuit.
Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, who served on the City Council during the Jacqueline Craig arrest, recalled a neighborhood meeting at the time where residents expressed concerns about Martin’s behavior.
“It’s taken a long time to get what the public perceives as justice served,” Bivens said.
She questioned whether there could be improvements to the police department’s hiring process that would reveal whether prospective officers had a history of negative interactions with the public.
“We want to make sure we have an appropriate team of officers representing the city of Fort Worth,” she said.
Following the Sept. 3 shooting, Fort Worth residents and community activists have demanded that Martin be held accountable for his actions.
Council member Chris Nettles told the Star-Telegram on Friday that he’s grateful for Noakes’ decision to terminate Martin.
“This is a page we need to turn for the city of Fort Worth, and to let our officers know that we are not going to tolerate this type of behavior,” Nettles said.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker also said in an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram that she supports Noakes’ decision.
“The relationship between our community and police department is critically important and our officers must demonstrate accountability, professionalism, and respect for the community they serve,” Parker said.
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