Austin Police Arrest Man In Series Of Armed Robberies

AUSTIN, TX — A man shot by police three years ago in a police encounter has now been arrested in connection to a spree involving half-a-dozen recent armed robberies, according to a published report.

Jawhari D'Andre Smith, 26, is behind bars at the Travis County Jail on seven counts of aggravated robbery, according to jail records. Police say he was arrested in connection to a rash of burglaries that began on Sept. 11, KXAN reported. That's when police received a 911 call reporting a home invasion at the Copper Mill Apartments, 10000 North Lamar Boulevard.

Just three hours later and a few blocks away, the owners of Matamoros Tacos at 10800 North Lamar Boulevard reported they, too, had been robbed, the news station reported.. And on the morning of Sept. 13, four armed robberies at the Canyon Trails Apartments at 7020 Grand Canyon Dr, in East Austin were reported, according to the report.

Based on witnesses accounts, officers tracked Smith down from a license plate one of the victims memorized. They arrested him at a Motel 6 in North Austin.

In March 2014, police responded to a disturbance on Berkman Drive when an officer made contact with Smith. Police claim he refused to drop a weapon—later found to have been a BB gun—prompting an officer to shoot him. After shooting Smith in the face and shoulder, the officer was cleared of all charges. Smith filed a lawsuit for excessive force at the time of the incident.

>>> Read the full story on KXAN

Jawhari D'Andre Smith booking photo courtesy of Austin Police Department