Man with box cutter shot by Fort Worth police officer

FORT WORTH, Texas - An off-duty Fort Worth police officer shot a man who police say threatened an off-duty Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputy.

Police said they received a call around midnight about a person being robbed at gunpoint at a gas station. The victim and the suspect met over the internet and planned to buy or sell something to each other. Police said the armed robbery suspect had a silver handgun.

The Fort Worth officer and the Tarrant County sheriff's deputy were working off duty as security officers at an apartment complex when they heard the description of the suspect over a police radio. Minutes later, they saw a man matching that description in the 8700 block of North Normandale in west Fort Worth.

Police said the officers got out of their car and confronted the man who was on foot. They asked him to turn around and police said he failed to comply with orders and pointed a silver object at the deputy. Knowing the suspect wanted in the earlier robbery had a silver handgun, the Forth Worth officer fired twice.

The silver weapon turned out to be a box cutter. The man was hit once in the lower back area and he was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital in critical condition. The officers were not hurt.

James McCloud shot cell phone video through his window. He said he inside with his wife and children when he heard the gunshots.

"I heard the two shots and sounded pretty close," McCloud said. "I didn't pay no attention to it cause it happens all the time, as far as gunshots. I saw some lights outside when I actually looked outside and saw the cops coming."

Police are still trying to determine if the wounded man is connected to the earlier robbery.