Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face weapons charges, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Monday. The announcement comes after police detained and then released Williams on Oct. 8 over a gun found in a vehicle he was traveling in during a traffic stop.
During the incident, Williams was nearly brought to jail for lacking a concealed pistol license (CPL) for a gun found in the car his brother was driving during a traffic stop. The decision not to bring Williams to jail spurred an investigation weeks later.
On Monday, Worthy’s office said the law is not clear enough to charge the receiver, as Williams’ brother — who did have a concealed pistol license — was driving the car. Worthy added that if Williams “had the gun on his person, he would have been charged.”
“The CPL holder here was the driver and had care, custody and control of the car,” Worthy said, adding, “I urge the legislature to immediately look closely at this law so that the prosecutors in Michigan can have steady and meaningful guidance in the future.”
Williams’ lawyer, Todd Flood, praised the outcome Monday.
“Although this decision was grounded in facts and the current state of the law, my client is thankful and humbled by the hard work Kym Worthy and her team put into this matter,” Flood said. “This has been a trying time for Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams understands that being a professional athlete carries with it a responsibility to lead with character and professionalism. This is especially true when being blessed to be a member of the Detroit Lions.”
The situation occurred on Oct. 8, when Detroit police pulled over Williams and his brother for speeding and driving “in an unsafe manner,” according to the statement from Worthy’s office. Williams’ brother, who was driving at the time, informed the officer about two guns in the car, one registered to each of them. The officer then cited Williams’ brother for traffic violations and handcuffed Williams who, unlike his brother, lacked a concealed pistol license.
But after a phone conversation between a sergeant at the scene and a lieutenant, police released Williams, according to reporting by 7 News Detroit. The Detroit Police Department later began an internal probe into why officers released the wide receiver after initially indicating they would take him to jail.
Worthy denied any special treatment in the decision not to issue charges.
“We have looked at this case thoroughly and objectively,” she said. “We did not consider that Mr. Williams is a Detroit professional athlete in our decision making. We have charged Detroit area athletes before and would not have hesitated to do so again if the facts of this case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. When it comes to charging decisions, we do not take into consideration who the potential defendant is, how much power and influence they have, or how beloved they may be. We deal with the facts and the law only.”
In a statement Monday, the Detroit Police Department thanked the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office “for their thoughtful deliberation of this complex legal matter.”
“This case illustrates just how challenging on-scene arrest determinations and subsequent charging decisions can be in new and unique situations, such as the one here,” the department said. “While no charges will be issued in this case, as an agency, we echo Prosecutor Worthy’s sentiment that no one is above the law.”
(Photo: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)
