Firearms incidents on Thursday includes one involving Albany police officer

ALBANY — The Albany Police Department is investigating two aggravated assaults, including one involving a law enforcement officer.

Phyllis Banks, a spokeswoman for the APD, said Officer Waquanza Mukes was checking the area for a suspect in a burglary at 1543 Georgia Ave. at 11:20 p.m. on Thursday when an unknown individual began shooting in the area.

Banks said the officer reported that she heard something strike the side of her vehicle, and drove to a safe area to check the vehicle. She found that a projectile had struck the right rear passenger door and landed in the back floor board of the vehicle.

Banks said Mukes was not injured. The incident remains under investigation.

Officers also responded to a discharging firearms report at 411 Lipsey Ave., Apartment 3, earlier in the day, at which point a man reported he had been shot at.

The report said the man asked for a Sgt. Casseus, and he was told the sergeant was not working that day when Officer William Clark responded at 11:16 a.m. Clark asked the man if it was a gang-related incident, to which he said no and refused to speak to the officer.

A woman, the man’s sister-in-law, soon pulled up in a white vehicle. She said she was leaving the park lot when a black Chevrolet Impala turned on Lipsey from Residence Avenue, and her brother-in-law came outside and told her he had been shot at, the report said.

The report said a bullet hole was found, which showed that the bullet passed through the door and collided with an object in the home and ricocheted before landing on the floor near a bed. The victim submitted a written statement saying he was getting out of a car and talking about money when a gun was pointed at him that appeared to be a silver .45 caliber.

The victim said a “li’l white four-door car” was involved, the report said.

Those with information on crimes in the Albany area are encouraged to call Albany Area CrimeStoppers at (229) 436-TIPS (8477). CrimeStoppers is an anonymous tipline through which callers can become eligible for cash rewards.