Fort Worth Officer shot man after reaching for gun in waistband: Police (gun recovered)

Fort Worth PolicePhoto byby FOX 4 Staff

According to a press release from Fort Worth PD, the department received multiple 911 calls that an unknown male was yelling, walking in the street, stopping traffic and may have been in need of assistance. Calls also detailed that the unknown male was stating “You’re under arrest” and that he was “going to pull the trigger.”

Upon arrival at the intersection of Park Vista Blvd at Keller Haslet Road, officers located the suspect and began talking with him and seeing if they could provide him with assistance. The suspect remained unresponsive.

The incident happened near a daycare in far north Fort Worth, police said. The man was struck in the abdomen and officers provided medical aid until he could be transported to a hospital. Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said the man was listed in stable condition. Callers on 911, also reported the man walked into the street and was stopping traffic. They tried to talk to the man and provide assistance, but he was unresponsive and walked away from them, Noakes said. The officers then noticed a handgun in the waistband of the man’s pants. The officers followed the suspect until they reached the 13000 block of Park Vista Boulevard, where Park Vista Children’s Academy is located. One of the officers then fired her Taser, but that proved to be ineffective, Noakes said. The suspect reached down to take out his weapon, Noakes said. The chief said the officers were concerned he was about to shoot, and one of them fired at least one shot, which hit the man in the abdomen.

Noakes said the officers were concerned about an armed man being so close to the daycare and were afraid he would try to go inside. Park Vista Children’s Academy is closed on Saturdays, and no children or staff were on site during the incident, he said. Noakes confirmed that the gun the officers saw was recovered after the shooting. The Crisis Intervention Team — officers with special training on how to deal with mental health issues — did not initially respond to the call, but came later, Noakes said. The suspect’s erratic behavior and threat to “pull the trigger” on one of the 911 callers who tried to help him made getting officers to the site a priority, the chief said. “The patrol officers who came in worked hard to de-escalate the situation themselves, worked hard to connect with this gentleman, did everything they can to provide whatever assistance he needed,” Noakes said. “Unfortunately he was unresponsive to those requests to assist him.”