COLERAIN – A Colerain man is behind bars after allegedly discharging a firearm into a relative’s home.

Bertie County Sheriff John Holley said Jeffrey Allen Matthews, 49, of Nowell Farm Road was charged with discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling and two counts of injury to real property after the incident Sunday.

Holley said his office received a call in reference to shots fired and Deputies Travis Askew and Gail Bond responded to the scene along with Chief Deputy Greg Atkins.

When the deputies arrived a woman spoke to authorities and said Matthews had gone to his mother’s home and fired a weapon into the house. There were no injuries from the shots.

Matthews reportedly returned to his own home and threatened to harm himself if officers responded. Holley said the officers were able to take him into custody without incident.

He was placed under arrest and taken to the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail where he was placed under a $125,000 secured bond. He made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.

In a related incident, two officers with the North Carolina Highway Patrol were involved in a minor accident while responding to the scene.

According to First Sgt. Todd Lane, Trooper M. Cerbone and Trooper G.P. Bowman were enroute to the scene when they were involved in a minor collision at the intersection of N.C. 45 and Meadow Road. The troopers are not typically assigned to handle calls in Bertie County, Lane said, and were unfamiliar with the roadways.

Trooper A.S. Genao was able to proceed to the scene and assist the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office in the Matthews case.

Lane said Sgt. M.W. Shadday was handling the investigation of the mishap involving the two troopers.