A Fort Worth police officer reportedly shot and wounded a man who appeared to be reaching for a weapon in his waistband on Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department said that officers were sent to the intersection of Park Vista Blvd. and Keller Haslet Rd. in response to calls of a disturbance around 7 a.m. on March 4.
A man was reportedly stopping traffic and yelling, “You’re under arrest,” saying he was “going to pull the trigger,” per NBC 5 DFW.
Officers from the North Patrol Division arrived at the scene and tried to talk with the man. While he remained unresponsive with the officers, police said there “appeared to be a handgun” in the front of his waistband, per The Dallas Morning News.
As the officers continued to walk with the man, one attempted to use his taser to subdue him. This was ultimately ineffective, and the man allegedly reached for the suspected weapon in his waistband.
In response, an officer “fired at least one shot” that struck the man in his abdomen, per WFAA. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition.
Police said the man’s weapon was recovered from the scene.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes spoke at a press conference on Saturday morning regarding the incident.
Noakes said that, while the officers sent to the location were not a part of the Crisis Intervention Team, they “came and worked hard to de-escalate the situation themselves,” per WFAA.
The Crisis Intervention Team has been trained in matters related to mental health and is accompanied in the field by a mental health professional. Noakes said the Crisis Intervention Team did arrive at the scene later on.
Police have not released the man’s name, and the investigation is ongoing.
This incident in Fort Worth comes on the heels of a crime-filled year for the metroplex, as crime rates continue to rise. Dallas has seen 45 firearm murders reported so far in 2023, which the Dallas Police Department indicates is a 15.38% increase from 2022.
