Suspect arrested in Lyft driver’s murder was trying to steal victim’s car, police say
The man accused of killing a 30-year-old Lyft driver in Fort Worth was trying to steal the victim’s car when the fatal shooting occurred, according to court records.
Police responded to the Sandy Oaks Apartments in east Fort Worth on Friday after a 911 caller reported seeing a silver car crash into the fence at the apartment complex. A man pulled the driver out of the wrecked vehicle, got back in and drove off, according to a copy of Michael Walker’s arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram.
When they arrived, officers found the driver, Shawali Sher Ali, on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Sher Ali died at the scene, police said.
A silver Toyota Camry, registered in Sher Ali’s name, was found parked in the northeast corner of the apartment complex, according to the affidavit. There were multiple bullet holes in the front windshield and fired cartridges and blood inside the vehicle.
Video from the Camry’s dash camera shows a man with a short, afro haircut styled into side buns sitting in the rear seat behind Sher Ali, the affidavit states. Sher Ali can be heard moaning and gasping for breath.
The man in the backseat tells Sher Ali to stop the car, and then a gunshot is heard. The video shows a pistol in the passenger’s hand, according to the affidavit.
The vehicle stops when it crashes into a fence. The same man who was sitting in the backseat is seen outside the vehicle, the affidavit states. The man is wearing all black clothing, distinct white checkerboard pattern underwear and holding a pistol. Then Sher Ali is seen on the ground while the vehicle backs up and drives away.
The vehicle drives to an exit gate, which didn’t open, according to the affidavit. The driver then turns around and parks. The same man with the distinctive hairstyle who was sitting in the backseat earlier is seen walking in front of the Camry.
Lyft told detectives it had a record of Sher Ali picking up a passenger at 11:23 a.m. with a destination on Sandy Lane.
Police spotted a man matching the suspect’s description standing in the road at Eastland Street on Saturday. The man walked away when the officers turned around to contact him. The officers followed the man into a yard and identified him as Michael Jerome Walker, according to the affidavit.
The officers found a handgun in the grass in the same area where Walker walked away from them. The weapon is the same caliber as the one used in Sher Ali’s murder, the affidavit states.
Walker told detectives he was at a club in Fort Worth when Sher Ali was killed and denied all involvement in the killing. The detectives requested a DNA swab from Walker in order to rule him out as a suspect, and Walker refused, according to the affidavit.
Walker’s appearance and hairstyle matches that of the suspect in the dash cam video, the affidavit states. He was also wearing distinct white checkerboard pattern underwear. The detective interviewing him observed a substance like blood on his pants, and said his voice matched the voice of the person who spoke in the back of the car when Sher Ali was shot.
An arrest warrant was issued for Walker on Sunday and he was arrested Monday, according to jail records. He’s been charged with capital murder by terror threat.
Sher Ali leaves behind a wife and two children. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with his funeral expenses and future needs for his family.
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