A Fort Worth police officer fired a single round at a woman on Wednesday night after believing she was reaching for a gun in her purse, only for officers to find no weapon, according to police.
The woman, identified by police as 32-year-old Leandra Johnson, was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of evading arrest. The incident began with a 911 report of gunfire in the 1700 block of Belshire Court in far south Fort Worth around 8:45 p.m.
Officers responding to that call tried to approach Johnson, but she ran, prompting a chase, the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram reported. At least one officer told investigators he saw Johnson start to reach into her purse and then fired one shot. Johnson was not hit.
According to the paper, officers wanted to search Johnson’s home for a gun in connection with the original shots-fired call. Ammunition found inside the residence was later determined to match an ejected cartridge casing recovered at the scene of the reported gunfire, police told the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram.
Policy and procedure
Fort Worth Police Department policy says officers can use deadly force only when they reasonably believe there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. It also requires every use of force to be documented and reviewed.
The rules instruct officers to issue a warning when it is feasible and to avoid firing in a way that puts bystanders at risk, with only narrow tactical exceptions. Those policies are laid out in the department’s General Orders.
Evidence and investigation
Police told the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram that officers were moving toward Johnson’s home to search for a weapon when she was detained. Investigators say the ammunition recovered in the residence matched a cartridge casing from the earlier shots-fired call.
The Fort Worth Star‑Telegram reports Johnson was being held in the Fort Worth Police Department detention facility and that online records did not yet list an attorney representing her.
It is not yet clear whether the officer who fired will be placed on administrative leave or whether any outside agency will be asked to review the shooting.
What’s next
Under department policy, the incident is expected to be formally documented and reviewed. Prosecutors will decide what criminal charges, if any, are filed in connection with the original shots-fired call and Johnson’s arrest on suspicion of evading.
For now, investigators are focused on two key questions: whether a firearm was present at any point in the encounter, and whether the officer’s decision to shoot met both department policy and legal standards.
