Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face any charges after he was detained last month, local prosecutors said Monday.
Williams, who has been suspended twice in his three seasons in the league, was facing arrest on a weapons charge when he was detained after midnight on Oct. 8 in the Detroit area. But Williams was not taken to jail or charged for the incident, and a police sergeant who turned out to be a Lions fan arrived at the scene.
Williams and his brother had two guns in the car when they were stopped. The weapons were properly registered and Williams’ brother has a concealed pistol license. Williams, however, does not and was facing a charge of carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle.
But Williams was seen on body camera footage telling the officer he played for the Lions. They handcuffed him and put him in a police car, but a sergeant later freed Williams. The sergeant immediately recognized Williams and had the Lions logo wallpaper on his phone. He was also reportedly happy to release Williams after speaking with a lieutenant on the phone.
“OKAY. Beautiful. Am I okay to let him go?” the sergeant asks before hanging up. “You’re a (expletive) hero. Thank you very much.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement: via ESPNthat they were not going to press charges. They also said they acted objectively even though Williams was a member of the Lions.
“We do not consider Mr. Williams to be a professional athlete from Detroit in our decision making,” he wrote via ESPN. “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 don’t take into consideration who the potential defendant is, how much power and influence they have, or how well-liked they may be. We deal only with the facts and the law.”
The Detroit Police Department also issued a similar statement.
“This case illustrates how challenging on-the-spot arrest determinations and subsequent charging decisions can be in new and unique situations, such as the one at hand,” the statement read. “Although no charges will be filed in this case, as an agency, we echo Prosecutor Worthy’s sentiment that no one is above the law.”
The Lions selected Williams with the 12th overall pick in 2022. He missed most of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in college, and was then suspended during his sophomore season for violating rules. of league play. He was also suspended two games earlier this season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy.
Williams has been great since his return. He had a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown in its win over Jacksonville two weeks ago. He had a team-high 64 yards on five receptions in their 24-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. That led to 602 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
The Lions will face the Chicago Bears next Thanksgiving. They are currently 10-1 and leading the NFC, marking their best start since 1934.