On Friday, December 24, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., Albany Police Officers responded to the area of 9th Avenue and SE Jackson Street to contact an adult male suspect for Violation of a Restraining Order. During the encounter Albany Police Officer Jim Estes advised the male suspect had a knife and told him he wasn’t going back to jail. The subject threatened Officer Estes and advanced on him with a knife in each hand. Officer Estes, an 18-year veteran of the Albany Police Department, repeatedly ordered the suspect to drop the knives before discharging his duty weapon striking the subject in the leg.
The suspect dropped his knives and Albany Police provided lifesaving efforts, while Albany Fire Department personnel were responding to the scene. The suspect was transported to a local area hospital with a gunshot wound. The suspect was identified as 51-year-old Thomas Leonard Jones of Albany.
The Linn-Benton Major Crimes Team was activated with Corvallis Police leading the officer-involved shooting investigation.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.
UPDATE: On Saturday, December 25th, 2021, at 2:45 pm Corvallis Police Department Detectives continued to investigate an officer involved shooting in Albany. Detectives contacted 51-year-old Thomas Leonard Jones, of Albany, who was being released from a local hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. He was subsequently arrested for Violation of a Restraining Order, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Jones was transported to the Linn County Jail where he was lodged.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.