FORT WORTH, Texas — An off-duty Fort Worth police officer who shot a man multiple times after an alleged hit-and-run attempt has been identified as Officer William Martin, the department confirmed to WFAA.
In the wake of that incident, Martin was placed on restricted duty as of Thursday, the Fort Worth Police Department said. Per FWPD, that means Martin has been reassigned to an administrative position with no police powers, and his gun and badge have been taken away.
While off-duty Tuesday afternoon, Martin said a driver hit his car and then drove off while he was driving southbound on I-35W near E. Morningside Drive. According to an initial news release from FWPD, Martin then started to follow the truck that had hit him.
Martin told police that the driver of the Ford F-150 then tried to ram into his car, and that's when he shot at the man driving the truck multiple times.
FWPD said the man Martin shot was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
No one involved in the incident has been placed under arrest, including the driver who was shot, FWPD has confirmed.
Criminal and administrative investigations into the shooting are being conducted simultaneously, the department said.
This is not Martin's first time to make headlines. In December 2016, he was involved in the controversial arrest of Jacqueline Craig. Video of that arrest went viral and sparked outrage throughout the Fort Worth community.
In that incident, Craig called 911 to report that a neighbor grabbed her son by the neck and accused him of littering. Martin was the responding officer on that call. When he arrived at the scene, he was caught on video questioning Craig's parenting.
"Why don't you teach your son not to litter?" Martin asked Craig.
The two got into a heated exchange before Martin took Craig to the ground, placed a Taser in her back and handcuffed her. Martin also grabbed Craig's 15-year-old daughter by the neck and arrested her, too.
Video of those arrests gained more than 5 million views and prompted protests in Fort Worth. Marchers called for Martin and police chief Joel Fitzgerald to be fired.
Martin was suspended for 10 days without pay following the incident.
Craig sued the city, accusing Martin of using excessive force. She also alleged that Fort Worth policymakers — specifically Fitzgerald, Mayor Betsy Price and the Fort Worth City Council — failed to identify, supervise or discipline officers who used excessive force.
Fitzgerald was fired in May 2019 after serving as police chief for three-and-a-half years. Martin received a 10-day suspension following the incident.
In 2022, Fort Worth paid Craig $150,000 to settle the suit.
In an effort to improve the police-community relationship in Fort Worth, the city formed the Citizen Review Board and the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor.
Dr. Cory Session, a member of the Fort Worth Race and Culture Task Force, said the force was created following the wrongful arrest of Craig and her daughter.
"It's the same officer. He was a bad actor then, he's a bad actor now," Session said. "I have full faith in Chief Noakes that he will make an example of this officer."
Dr. Alex Del Carmen, a criminologist who has trained police chiefs across Texas said based on the details provided on the hit and run incident, Martin should not have chased the fleeing truck.
"If you're off duty and not in a patrol car, you're not going to engage in a chase that is going to endanger the lives of other people. The exception is if the suspect pulled out a gun and began shooting at innocent people," Del Carmen said. "Unless there are circumstances we don’t know at this point that this individual fleeing was posing a threat, in which case the officer on scene would've been compelled or required to engage in a chase."
Councilmember Chris Nettles, who decided to run for a council position following Craig's wrongful arrest, said the latest incident involving Martin must be investigated thoroughly.
"The details are not clear, but this incident should have been avoided," Nettles said. How did this happen, and what really happened? To me, this is more about a character issue. The question is: why is he still an officer for Fort Worth PD?
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker issued a statement to WFAA following the incident.
“I have full confidence that Chief Noakes will lead the investigation with the utmost professionalism and transparency. During this time, I am supporting the FWPD and the OPOM as they follow their established procedures related to these type of investigations,” Parker said.
When reached for comment on Thursday, Terry Daffron, an attorney with the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) who is representing Martin, said she could not comment on pending litigation.