Warner Robins man sentenced to 12 years for aggravated assault, firearm charges

29-year-old Matthew Elijah Patterson of Warner Robins receives a 12-year sentence following a 2019 shooting at a Popeyes restaurant.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – 29-year-old Matthew Elijah Patterson of Warner Robins was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by 13 years of probation for multiple charges, including aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

The Houston County District Attorney’s Office says the conviction came after a two-day jury trial in the Superior Court of Houston County.

On September 9, 2019, the DA’s Office says Thomas Hickey went to the Popeyes restaurant location on Russell Parkway to fill out a job application. Since the restaurant was about to close, Hickey took the application out to his car to finish. Soon after, two individuals—later identified as the Patterson and co-defendant Troy Lewis Jr—approached Hickey’s vehicle and began harassing him to leave the area.

Hickey recorded the harassment on his phone, leading Patterson and Lewis to leave. However, as Hickey drove away, Patterson fired multiple shots at Hickey’s car, a witness reported. Patterson and Lewis were both located and arrested after fleeing to nearby woods. Ballistics confirmed the shots came from a 9mm handgun Patterson tried to hide in the woods.

Hickey escaped unharmed despite his car being struck three times.

“These cases where gun violence is used to solve matters between people is just senseless,” District Attorney William Kendall said. “The lives of our citizens should be protected and evildoers who resort to senseless gun violence to solve their problems have only one place to go—prison.”

Lewis, Jr., who testified as a witness for the State, awaits trial for his role in the assault.