A Fort Worth police officer fired one shot at a fleeing woman suspected of shooting into neighborhood trees, though investigators later found no gun.

Incident Details

The shot struck no one during the July 15 encounter in the 1700 block of Belshire Court. Police identified the woman as 34-year-old Leandra Johnson and said the officer who fired had served with the department for two years.

Officers responded at about 8:45 p.m. after several 911 callers described a barefoot black woman in a pink shirt and possibly gray shorts firing a handgun into trees, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

The department said in its statement that an officer saw Johnson reaching inside the purse and feared she was reaching for the reported handgun. "One officer observed the female reaching inside the purse she was holding. Fearing that the female may be reaching for the weapon, one officer fired his gun," police said.

Police arrested Johnson for evading arrest or detention and later obtained an additional warrant accusing her of discharging a firearm. The department’s Major Case Unit continues to investigate the officer’s shot.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.