Warner Robins officer injured in line of duty shares experience post-shooting — ‘I’m blessed to be here’

WARNER ROBINS — On Jan 29, Officer Matthew Wojtal was shot in the line of duty responding to a domestic violence call. Now he is sharing his perspective on the aftermath of the incident.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers responded to a home on the 100 block of Rose Street. While on scene, Wojtal approached the home and was shot multiple times. A woman was discovered outside the home who had also been shot.

Law enforcement arrested Rashawn Williams, 21, of Warner Robins, in connection with the shooting. He was charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer and aggravated assault.

Wojtal was originally listed in critical condition after the shooting, according to the GBI. Now he is on the road to recovery.

Wojtal said he has gone through several surgeries and is still slated for minor operations and physical therapy. Describing himself as athletic, Wojtal says he is now exhausted walking around the house due to a collapsed lung.

“There’s a lot of leaps and hurdles to get through as far as health concerns go. It’ll be a long, slow recovery. … But I’m more than confident that I will be back, probably as strong, if not stronger than before,” he said.

Amid the recovery, coworkers, supervisors and the community have sent an outpouring of support. Wojtal was extremely grateful and encouraged to wear the badge again.

One moment in particular was from the owners of Tap & Pour, who organized a fundraiser in Wojtal’s honor, with the manager matching the amount raised.

“It was extremely heartwarming. It gave me motivation to continue to get better. It gave me a sense of fight to continue to work hard to get back into the job,” he said.

Wojtal, who grew up in Chicago, joined the Warner Robins Police Department eight years ago and feels led to do so.

“Becoming a police officer, in my opinion, is more of a calling. It’s something that you have a passion to do, something you feel inside you, like, ‘this is important to me.’ This is something that I’ve always wanted to do.”

Wojtal said the situation reinforces his view as a police officer.

“There is evil out there. It’s real, and officers need to be aware of their surroundings. They need to be aware of certain situations and take these situations seriously. The academy does a phenomenal job of teaching officers on how to deal with traumatic situations, but there’s always more that can always be taught,” he said.

And the situation also uncovered his fighting spirit, he mentioned.

“I’m a fighter. Through all things, I’ve been able to persevere and I’m right where I should be. I’m not upset, I’m not angry, I’m happy and blessed that I was able to be in this career and be able to be in a position to help and serve my community exactly the way that I needed to.

Wojtal encourages other officers going through trauma to reach out to a support system, or even him directly. He says he has a new outlook on the incident.

“I’m blessed to be here, and I’m thankful for every day. After coming out of the hospital, even just smelling the air outside was just different. The sunlight looks different, the grass looks different. It just gives you a new perspective on life and makes you more thankful for the simple things in life,” he said.

And on the job, officers go through more than the public realizes, he said.

“We go through a lot of situations daily, and we don’t necessarily publicize it,” he said. “We handle the situation and move forward doing everything we can to keep the public safe and do our job as we’re supposed to do.”