FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Fort Worth police released body camera footage on Friday providing details of an officer shooting a robbery suspect at a 24-hour vape shop earlier this month.
The shooting took place on Jan. 7 in the 3200 block of Fargo Court, after officers responded to a robbery at the vape shop. Surveillance cameras captured the suspect, identified as Walker Cadd, 37, entering the store armed with a crowbar, prompting an employee to call 911 for help.
Police arrived at the scene minutes after the call and found Cadd, who fled into an open field behind the shopping center and was later discovered hiding in a nearby backyard. When ordered to show his hands, Cadd did not comply, and the situation escalated.
An officer drew a weapon and ordered Cadd to show his hands, but Cadd refused and walked toward the officer. When Cadd reached for the officer’s gun, the officer fired two shots, hitting Cadd in the leg. The suspect received first aid at the scene before being taken to the hospital and later booked into the Tarrant County Jail on charges of theft and attempting to take a weapon from an officer.
No one inside the vape shop was injured, and according to police, the officer involved in the shooting was placed on “significant event leave.” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes emphasized the impact of officer-involved shootings on the community and emphasized the department’s commitment to addressing any concerns about police encounters.