FORT WORTH, Texas — After being arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Officer William Martin was fired by Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes.
Noakes sat down for a one-on-one interview with WFAA Reporter Scoop Jefferson to answer questions about his decision. The termination comes after an internal investigation and charges were filed against Martin by Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells.
“Some cases may be more clear cut than others, but it's never an easy decision," Noakes said.
The termination stems from an alleged road rage shooting involving Martin who was in his personal vehicle and off-duty.
On Sept. 3, the veteran officer told police he followed a driver who hit his car. Highway cameras showed the traffic backup on southbound I-35W near East Morningside Drive. Martin told scene investigators he shot at the other driver, Samuel Christopher, multiple times for trying to run him over. But there are at least 14 people who witnessed the encounter between the two men according to police who all rebut Martin's claims.
Since becoming chief of police, whenever there is a shooting involving an officer, Noakes has made it a point to go to the scene, regardless of the circumstances. During the WFAA interview with Noakes, he explained why.
"It's a big deal when a weapon is discharged," Noakes said. "I think it's important for me to be there for a few reasons. One, to check on the condition of everyone involved to get the information that I can about what has happened. I responded to the [Sept. 3] scene to make sure I could get all the information.”
Just like the others on the scene, Noakes saw the aftermath of the so-called road rage turned shooting. Attorneys for 33-year-old Samuel Christopher shared photos with WFAA which showed the windows of his F-150 pickup truck blown out by the gunfire. Paramedics rushed Christopher to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.
Noakes shared the following message with WFAA for Samuel Christopher:
"That [Christopher] sees through this process, through the criminal charges that were brought against this officer, through the way [Martin] was solely accountable administratively, obviously, that we're going to be transparent," Noakes said, "We're going to be open and we're going to definitely hold ourselves accountable and continue to hold ourselves to a very high standard."
Attorney P. Michael Schneider in defense of his client sent the following statement about the termination:
"Officer William Martin’s termination by Chief Neil Noakes today was the foreseeable result of a garbage investigation. It was obvious from the start that the FWPD leadership decided the outcome they wanted and ignored the mountain of evidence to the contrary. This case should serve as a warning to all current FWPD Officers: 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."
In December 2016, Martin went viral for the excessive force arrest of Jacqueline Craig, who passed away this year. The City of Fort Worth settled the case and Martin remained on the job.
Shortly after announcing the decision to terminate William Martin, Chief Noakes met with Bonycle Sokunbi, who serves as the Director of the Officer of the Police Oversight Monitor. The two work together to strengthen the relationship between police officers and the Fort Worth community. Noakes also met with a group of Fort Worth ministers to discuss his decision and ongoing efforts to provide transparency from FWPD. The same ministers have expressed concerns to the chief while following both cases involving Martin.
"William Martin is just a thug with a badge and a gun," Bishop Mark Kirkland said. "He's done nothing but disgrace and dishonor the Fort Worth Police Department. Now, he's being held accountable by this chief.”
Bishop Mark Kirkland and his fellow clergy are working with Noakes to build trust between law enforcement and community members. They shared a message for the fired officer who is no stranger to fighting for his job.
“I think at some point he has to look at himself squarely in the mirror and take some ownership in some accountability for his degradation of actions," said Bishop Mark Kirkland.