High-speed police chase death of an innocent driver remains under investigation a year after crash
FORT WORTH — A year after Andre Craig was killed in a high-speed Fort Worth police chase, his grieving family seeks answers. So far, they have not received them from the police.
Last July, 57-year-old Craig collided with a Fort Worth police officer at an intersection in South Fort Worth. Witnesses at the scene reported that Craig's light was green. At the time of the crash, the officer was pursuing a reported stolen car. The police report indicated that the chase reached speeds of 100 miles per hour on Evans Avenue, where the posted speed limit is 30.
Craig bore the brunt of the collision and lost his life. Despite more than 12 months passing since the crash, it remains unclear whether the police officer will face criminal charges, be disciplined, or whether he was following the department's chase policy at the time.
Daryl Washington, the Craig family attorney, expressed frustration that the family has not been allowed to view the officer's dash camera video. "They [Fort Worth Police] have tried to keep everything confidential, everything sealed, and it makes you ask the question, 'why?'" said Washington.
Police officials told CBS News Texas that the department's ability to share information with the Craig family is limited because the case is still ongoing. In the coming weeks, a grand jury is expected to determine what charges, if any, the officer involved in the fatal crash should face.
"I get that there are rules and procedures, but where's the compassion? Human compassion would go a long way toward helping our family heal," said Craig's sister, Nefertari Mundy.
Meanwhile, Brian Hunter, the man police were chasing, faces two felony charges: driving a stolen vehicle and evading arrest causing death. The sentence range for these charges is 2-20 years in prison. The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office confirmed that no plea agreement is currently in place.
Last year, the City of Fort Worth filed a lawsuit against the Texas Attorney General's Office to keep its chase policy confidential. The lawsuit is still in litigation. While the department released portions of its policy to the public last spring, it maintained that releasing the entire policy could jeopardize officer safety and effectiveness. This lawsuit resulted from requests made by the CBS News Texas I-Team and other local media members through public records law to obtain a copy of the full chase policy.
Fort Worth Police Department's latest annual report reveals that 20% of its police chases last year resulted in injuries, whether to suspects, officers, or innocent bystanders. This rate is more than double the national average of 9%, according to a Department of Justice report on police pursuits issued last year.
A police spokesperson acknowledged the difficulty of comparing injury rates due to the unique nature of each pursuit. However, the spokesperson said the department aims to minimize risks, but ultimately relies on suspects to comply before a chase even begins.