FORT WORTH, Texas – A man who was shot and wounded by a Fort Worth police officer after reportedly robbing a vape store with a crowbar had tossed the weapon before the shooting, Police Chief Neil Noakes said during a news conference Friday.
Noakes explained that the responding officer wasn’t aware that 37-year-old Walker Cadd had discarded the crowbar until authorities later retraced his steps, and couldn’t be certain he wasn’t hiding any additional weapons due to the darkness and Cadd’s large hoodie that covered his waistline.
It was reported that officers were dispatched to a 24-hour vape shop in response to reports of a man armed with a crowbar who had broken glass and stolen several items from the store. Surveillance footage showed the man using the crowbar handle to knock merchandise into a cardboard box.
Body-worn camera footage then captured the officer finding Cadd crouched in the corner of an empty shed in a backyard, drawing his gun and shouting commands several times. Cadd refused to comply and continued to walk towards the officer, leading to the officer firing two shots, striking Cadd once in the leg.
Cadd was taken to a hospital and released the same day, while the officer was placed on “significant event leave,” which is standard practice at the department.
Cadd was booked into the Tarrant County jail on a count of theft and attempting to take a weapon from a peace officer, where he remained in custody. The officer, who has been with the department for about 21 years, has not been named.