Lincoln Police were called to the Kwik Shop at 59th and Fremont Street at 12:30 a.m. on Monday, December 14th to investigate a shoplifting. An employee gave police a description of the person and officers saw a man matching that standing near a fence nearby.
When officers approached the man who refused to speak to them and walked away. Officers explained they needed to speak with him and he started running. Officers gave chase through a neighborhood and caught up with him. The man resisted arrested causing one officer to fall causing a minor injury to his wrist.
The man refused to provide information and officers used the Mobile FIS unit to identify him as 42 year old Matthew Williams. They also determined he was wanted on three warrants for theft.
Officers also learned that Williams was wanted in two cases as well. On October 30th, 2019, a theft was reported at American Electronics, 5815 S 58th Street, where locked bins behind the business that contained cables and electronics had been cut and items were stolen. The total loss was estimated at $200 and the damage was $180. Officers reviewed video from the store which showed a man, who was identified as Williams, to be responsible.
On March 3rd, 2020, a mountain bike was stolen from a back yard in the 1800 block of Groveland after the lock was cut. Officers learned that a neighbor witnessed the theft and that it was also captured on a home security video. The case was featured on news channels through Crime Stoppers and a tip came in identifying the person responsible as Williams. Officers were able to compare the images and positively identified Williams as the person responsible for stealing the bike. Williams was arrested for two counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking, Criminal Mischief, and Obstructing a Police Officer.
As officers investigated the theft at the Kwik Shop, they discovered that Williams was not the person responsible in that case.