Fort Worth Police chase policy under scrutiny as recent pursuits result in 20% injury rate

New data obtained by NBC 5 shows the injury rate connected to police chases in Fort Worth.

The police department said in its most recent annual data that one in five pursuits resulted in injuries – and four people have been killed during Fort Worth police chases since 2019.

For months, critics have been calling on the department to release the full text of its pursuit policy, saying the language is needed to evaluate whether chases that resulted in injuries or deaths were justified.

In an interview only seen on NBC 5, the Fort Worth Police Department is responding to those requests.

“[The injury rate] fluctuates each year,” said Buddy Calzada, Public Information Officer with the Fort Worth Police Department. “But I can tell you within the last fiscal year number that we ran, we’re looking right at 20%.”

One of the four deaths that have occurred during Fort Worth Police pursuits in the past five years was that of 57-year-old Andre Craig.

“This was a guy who would give his shirt off his back; I mean, he was just loved by so many individuals,” said Daryl Washington, an attorney for Craig’s family. “And to see how Andre lost his life has been devastating.”

In a lawsuit against the city of Fort Worth filed last month, Craig’s family asserted that early on the morning of July 6, 2023, Craig was driving legally through an intersection where Fort Worth police officers were chasing a suspected stolen car.

The suit said a police cruiser collided with Craig’s car, killing him. Craig’s family is now suing the city of Fort Worth for wrongful death.

“What’s been even more difficult for them is the manner in which the city of Fort Worth has been going by in trying to hide policies and procedures,” Washington said.

Craig was the second person in four weeks to die during a Fort Worth police chase last summer.

Since then, critics have called on the department to release the full text of its vehicle pursuit policy.

Fort Worth Police released most of the document last month but redacted the list of authorized pursuits and restrictions on vehicle pursuits.

NBC 5 asked the police department for a response to calls to release the full chase policy.

“I think it’s crucial to balance transparency with risk factors,” Calzada said. “These officers go out every single day already doing a dangerous job; we’re not going to give the bad guy a handbook on how to make it more dangerous for these officers.”

Fort Worth Police also said the department maintained protocol to reduce injuries during chases, including having officers communicate to supervisors how severe the alleged crime was and discussing whether traffic in the area would be too heavy to give chase safely.

“And you know, it’s last minute or second decisions where we determine if we need to continue a pursuit or terminate a pursuit,” Calzada said. “It’s all about safety.”

The attorney for Andre Craig’s family told NBC5 they hoped the Fort Worth police department would change their chase policy to restrict pursuits only to suspected violent criminals.

In response, a Fort Worth PD spokesperson said the department would not allow crimes to be committed without fear of consequences.