Fort Worth Police Firefighter William Martin Over Off-Duty Shooting

FORT WORTH, Texas – Fort Worth police officer William Martin, who was at the center of a controversial 2016 arrest, was fired following an off-duty shooting in September.

Martin was in his Honda Accord on September 3 when he claimed a Ford F-150 crashed into his car near I-35W and Morningside Drive and took off.

The officer explained that he pursued the driver, Samuel Christopher, after considering him a threat to public safety.

Martin then got out of the car and pointed a gun at Christopher.

Christopher claimed he feared for his life and began to flee, but Martin fired three shots, striking and injuring him.

“All witnesses testified that Martin was not at risk of being struck by Christopher’s vehicle,” an arrest warrant affidavit for Martin read.

Martin and Christopher told conflicting stories about the incident.

The officer was initially placed on restricted duty while internal affairs investigated the incident.

On September 20, Martin was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Martin was then placed on detached duty.

After a review of the internal affairs investigation, Martin’s chain of command determined that the level of force used in the incident was unjustified.

Fort Worth Police Chief Neal Noakes agreed with the assessment and fired Martin.

“The Fort Worth Police Department is full of officers who do the right job 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,” reads a statement from the Fort Worth Police Department.

Martin had worked for the Fort Worth Police Department for 19 years.

Jacqueline Craig arrest

Martin’s legal team previously said police were “motivated” to arrest their client for a 2016 incident captured on video that attracted national attention.

Martin was accused of using excessive force when arresting Jacqueline Craig and her daughter, after Craig called police to complain about his neighbor.

The video showed Martin knocking Craig and one of his daughters to the ground.

Martin served a 10-day suspension and the city ended up reaching a civil rights settlement with the Craig family for $150,000.