Fort Worth Police Officer is on Trial for Shooting a Man Holding a BBQ Fork

On June 23, 2015, a Fort Worth police officer allegedly shot a black man in the arm while responding to a complaint about the man by a neighbor. The mentally challenged man, Craigory Adams, had been holding a barbeque fork. That officer was later charged with the first-degree felony of aggravated assault by a public servant, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison. The indictment has two counts and accuses the officer of switching off the safety switch and sliding the pump action rifle back and forward while pointing it towards Adams. The 35-year-old officer is on trial this week for what he claims was an accident that happened because his shotgun went off accidentally.

The claims of the Fort Worth Police Department officials include:

• The police chief believes race was not a factor in the alleged shooting. The officer is white and Adams is black.
• The shotgun accidentally went off, making it an unintentional alleged shooting.
• The officer’s actions demonstrate that he allegedly failed to follow his training.

The police chief released the dashcam video of the incident. It’s nighttime, and you can see the officer approach Adams. The officer allegedly failed to identify himself as a law enforcement officer as he approached. When he drove up, it was without lights or sirens activated. The officer gave Adams a series of commands. Adams dropped the two-pronged barbeque fork and then dropped to one knee. The officer then called for backup. After a few moments, the officer radioed dispatch and reported that shots were fired, having allegedly shot Adams in the arm moments before. He then immediately called for emergency medical assistance, recordings show.

The police officer on trial has been on desk duty since this incident occurred. In Tarrant County, officers in alleged police shootings frequently do not end up being indicted on any charges, which has been alleged and spotlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement. Learn more about these types of cases in this ongoing series.

–Guest Contributor

Written By: smchugh

smchugh