Dashcam Video Shows Fatal Fort Worth Police Chase

Crash sparked investigation into department's pursuit policies

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Newly released police dashcam footage shows the final 90 seconds of a 2023 Fort Worth police chase that ended in a deadly collision, killing an uninvolved driver. The chase began after officers spotted a stolen Dodge Challenger, leading to a high-speed pursuit through rush-hour traffic that reached speeds of nearly 100 mph before the fatal crash. The incident sparked a nearly three-year investigation into the department's pursuit policies, which became the focus of open records disputes and a city lawsuit.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing debate around police pursuit policies and the need to balance public safety with apprehending suspects. The fatal crash raised questions about when officers should initiate and continue high-speed chases, especially in populated urban areas.

The details

The July 2023 chase began after a license plate reader alerted officers to a stolen Dodge Challenger in southeast Fort Worth. Officers surrounded the neighborhood with spike strips in an attempt to stop the vehicle without a pursuit. However, when the driver refused to stop, a 19-year veteran officer named Linuel Joel began chasing the Challenger through rush-hour traffic, reaching speeds up to 100 mph. The dashcam video shows Joel's patrol SUV colliding with an SUV driven by 57-year-old Andre Craig, who was killed in the crash. The driver of the Challenger, 19-year-old Brian Hunter, was later arrested and pleaded guilty to evading arrest causing death.

  • The chase occurred in July 2023.
  • The dashcam video was newly released in March 2026.
  • The City of Fort Worth settled a wrongful-death claim with Craig's family for $250,000 last year.

The players

Linuel Joel

A 19-year veteran officer with the Fort Worth Police Department who initiated and continued the high-speed chase that resulted in the fatal crash.

Andre Craig

A 57-year-old uninvolved driver who was killed when his SUV collided with the patrol vehicle during the police chase.

Brian Hunter

The 19-year-old driver of the stolen Dodge Challenger who fled from police, leading to the chase and fatal crash.

Fort Worth Police Department

The law enforcement agency whose pursuit policies came under scrutiny following the deadly incident, leading to a nearly three-year investigation and legal disputes over the release of the department's policies.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Fort Worth Police Department has updated its pursuit policy to emphasize a "risk versus harm" standard, directing officers to only begin or continue a chase when letting a suspect escape is likely to pose more danger to the public than the pursuit itself.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges police departments face in balancing public safety with apprehending suspects, and the need for clear, transparent policies that prioritize minimizing harm to uninvolved civilians during high-speed chases.