The Brief
Former Fort Worth officer William Martin pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a 2024 off-duty road rage shooting.
The shooting occurred after a hit-and-run, leading Martin to chase the other driver and fire three shots, injuring the other driver.
Martin is the same police officer who was accused of using excessive force during the controversial arrest of Jaqueline Craig and her daughter in 2016.
FORT WORTH, Texas – A former Fort Worth police officer has pleaded guilty to charges related to a road rage shooting.
Fort Worth Road Rage Shooting
What’s new
William Martin pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He now faces a punishment of between two and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
A Tarrant County judge is expected to issue that sentence in August.
The backstory
Martin is a former Fort Worth police officer who was fired in 2024 following a road rage shooting that happened while he was off duty.
Police said Martin was in his Honda Accord and claimed the driver of a Ford F-150 hit his car near Interstate 35W and Morningside Drive. The other driver took off.
Martin pursued the other driver, got out of his car, and pointed a gun at the other driver.
The other driver told police he feared for his life, so he began to drive away. That’s when Martin fired three shots, hitting and injuring the other driver.
Police said Martin and the other driver initially gave conflicting stories about what happened.
Martin was ultimately arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and fired for unjustified use of force.
Jacqueline Craig Arrest
Big picture view
Martin was also at the center of a controversial arrest in 2016 that attracted national attention.
He was accused of using excessive force while arresting Jacqueline Craig and her daughter, after Craig called the police to complain about her neighbor.
Video showed Martin wrestling Craig and one of her daughters to the ground.
He served a 10-day suspension and the city ended up settling a civil lawsuit with the Craig family for $150,000.
What they’re saying
“It was very clear from the beginning that he had gone overboard with this.”
Bob Ray Sanders, a former journalist and advocate in the Fort Worth community, says the plea agreement shows accountability and is a step towards justice.
“The fact that the police eventually charged him with a crime said something. That gave the community some relief, that the community is now acting,” Sanders said.
The attorney representing Samuel Christopher, the driver shot in the 2024 incident, gave the following statement to FOX 4:
“Sam and his wife Mykaela are grateful for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Office’s diligent prosecution of Martin and look forward to justice being served at the sentencing hearing.”
The Source
The information in this story is from court documents and past news coverage.