Investigators think a Lee County teenager, at whom an Albany Police officer shot Tuesday morning is behind a string of overnight crimes in northwest Albany.
The suspect was not hit, and was immediately taken into custody.
Police say it appears the 19-year old was on a burglary spree that included stealing a gun he pointed at officers and breaking into a dental surgeon's office.
19-year-old Christopher Mathews was wearing an ankle monitor when he was arrested this morning. He was out on bond facing nearly a dozen charges of burglary and entering autos in Lee County earlier this year. Now he is facing more serious charges.
The burglar alarm went off at Dr. Brad Harris' oral surgery office on Pointe North Boulevard around 4 Tuesday morning. When Dr. Harris drove up, he saw five Albany Police cars and the front windows of his office busted out.
"Then I heard gunshots, and that got my attention," said Dr. Brad Harris.
APD officer Christopher Arline saw a man walking on Pointe North and ordered him to stop. The man turned and raised a gun at the officer, and Officer Arline fired three shots. 19-year-old Christopher Mathews dropped to the ground, but was not hit.
Officers told Harris that the bullets were loaded backwards in the .45 calibre semi automatic pistol Mathews had, and it could not fire.
"It's not surprising. People are desperate right now, and people don't have God. And if you don't have God these are the things that you do," said Harris.
Officers had been in the area because someone smashed the Lighthouse Liquors front door trying to break in, but were unsuccessful. They found Dr. Harris' office windows smashed, and saw other attempts to break in surrounding businesses.
Earlier Tuesday morning a car was broken into on Nottingham Way, where a .45 semi automatic pistol was stolen. That was the gun Mathews pointed at the officer.
Drug agents say more doctor's offices are being targeted for painkillers.
"If you can't get them on the street, you can't get them through a prescription, you break in and try to steal as much as you can," said Albany Dougherty Drug Unit Commander, Major Bill Berry.
Drug agents say pharmacies and doctor's offices have to increase security to protect their painkillers, because of increasing break-in threats. But Dr. Harris' is concerned even that may not be enough.
"He came in with the security system on. And hung around the building and then went to other buildings nearby. So I think desperate people do desperate things," said Harris.
Dr. Harris' said he will increase security again at his office. He said he is just glad no one was hurt this morning.
Mathews was arrested in January in Lee County for 19 counts of entering auto, burglary, possession of marijuana and a gun. He was wearing an ankle monitor Tuesday morning when he was arrested, on bond for those charges and two burglary arrests in December.
Albany Police charged him with aggravated assault on a peace officer, burglary, criminal damage, entering auto, and possession of a gun during a crime.
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