Fort Worth officer shoots man in leg after reported robbery at vape shop, police say

A man was treated at the hospital Sunday morning after being shot in the leg by a Fort Worth police officer responding to a robbery call, according to the department.

The man, only identified as a 37-year-old, was in stable condition and no other injuries were reported.

Officers responded about 4 a.m. to a 24-hour vape shop in the 6400 block of McCart Avenue, near Altamesa McCart Center, after receiving a report that a man wearing a face mask and armed with a crowbar had broken glass and stolen several items from the store, police said.

When officers arrived at the location, the suspect ran away through an open field behind the shopping center, prompting an on-foot pursuit. He was found hiding in a residential backyard in the 3200 block of Fargo Court.

Police said after “confronting the suspect,” one officer fired a single shot, which struck the man in the leg, then provided emergency medical aid until he was taken to the hospital.

The man is believed to be the only suspect in the robbery. It was not immediately clear what charges he faces.

The investigation is ongoing.

The involved officer was placed on “significant event leave,” which is standard practice at the department. The officer’s identity and years of service with Fort Worth police was not released.

“This is another reminder, as we too often see, of the dangers out there in the public, but what I want Fort Worth to know is that even when they’re at home asleep, we have police officers out here around the clock doing everything they can to protect them, doing everything they can to take violent criminals off the streets,” police Chief Neil Noakes told a group of reporters Sunday. “I’m proud of them for making sure someone who committed a violent crime tonight was taken into custody.”