He Accidentally Shot Himself In Wendy's Drive-Thru, Then Told Cops He Was Robbed While Walking Dog: Police

CITY OF MIDDLETOWN, NY — A bizarre set of circumstances led to an equally elaborate lie, according to police in Orange County.

The City of Middletown Police Department announced on Friday that on July 23, shortly after midnight, they were contacted by Town of Wallkill police about a reported armed robbery and shooting that had allegedly taken place in the City of Middletown. Town of Wallkill police had been alerted after a gunshot victim arrived at the Garnet Health Medical Center, with a bullet in his lower leg.

After Town of Wallkill police and detectives interviewed 39-year-old Terry Williamson, of the Town of Deerpark, he told them that he had been robbed at gunpoint while walking his dog on Phillips Street, in the City of Middletown.

City of Middletown detectives then responded to the hospital and interviewed Williamson, who was found to have a gunshot wound consistent with that of a .22 caliber weapon. However, police say he was "uncooperative and evasive" while being questioned about the incident.

Detectives then conducted a neighborhood canvass, but were unable to find any evidence or a potential crime scene. A check of video surveillance in the area showed that Williamson was indeed present on Phillips Street on the evening of July 22, but that he had made a food delivery to a home in the area and left, appearing uninjured.

While reviewing Williamson's timeline of events, detectives discovered that he had driven to the Wendy's restaurant located on Route 211, in the Town of Wallkill. Detectives say that surveillance footage showed Williamson's vehicle in the drive-thru line around 11:05 p.m. on July 22. Police say that the video showed that while Williamson was waiting in line, a burst of light appeared inside his vehicle, which police say is consistent with that of a muzzle flash from a firearm. Williamson's vehicle then quickly left the drive-thru, without placing an order for food, according to cops.

Soon after, Williamson showed up at the Emergency Room at Garnet Health Medical Center, reporting his gunshot wound.

Based upon the information obtained by Middletown detectives, and believing that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, a search warrant was obtained for Williamson's vehicle and his home in the Town of Deerpark.

On Thursday, Williamson was found by Town of Deerpark police officers, traveling on a motorcycle on State Route 42. After officers conducted a traffic stop, he was then arrested by Middletown detectives.

During the stop, Williamson was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 revolver, which he was not legally allowed to have since he was a convicted felon in Pennsylvania on parole.

Williamson was charged with felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. As his arrest was a violation of his Pennsylvania state parole stipulations, a warrant for his arrest was issued. Williamson will therefore face additional charges as a fugitive from justice, and be extradited to Pennsylvania to be arraigned on that warrant.

The City of Middletown Police Department thanked the Town of Wallkill Police Department and the Town of Deepark Police Department for their assistance in this case.

"Mr. Williamson possessed an illegal firearm, which he mishandled and subsequently shot himself with in the Town of Wallkill," City of Middletown Police Chief John Ewanciw said. "Instead of taking responsibility for his careless and reckless actions, he proceeded to construct a fake story, claiming that he was robbed in the City of Middletown. This lie resulted in an extensive investigation, with our detectives devoting hours of manpower into developing a timeline and tracing Mr. Williamson's actions on the night of the incident. The persistence and diligence of Detectives Kris Bailey and Evan Barone in pursuing the truth resulted in a dangerous criminal with an illegal firearm being taken off of our streets. I commend Detectives Bailey, Barone and all of the members of the Detective Division and Narcotics Unit for their outstanding work in this case."