Report: Warrant request made for Lions’ Williams

ESPN

Oct 29, 2024, 06:49 PM ET

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s office is reviewing a warrant request for the arrest of Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams on a concealed weapon charge, WXYZ-TV in Detroit reported Tuesday.

The warrant request on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle was issued late last week by the Detroit Police Department, stemming from a traffic stop on Oct. 8.

In a statement released later Tuesday, the Detroit Police Department said the investigation “continues to evolve, and new information has come to light that we are actively addressing.”

“We take every investigation seriously, especially when new allegations and facts emerge, and we are committed to acting in a swift and transparent manner,” the department said in its statement. “Once new facts are confirmed, we make the necessary changes in our decision-making process.

“Let it be clear: no one in the City of Detroit is above the law. Anyone who commits a crime will be held accountable, regardless of their position or status.”

The warrant request was made after an internal affairs investigation was opened after WXYZ-TV asked the police department about why Williams wasn’t taken into custody.

“On October 8, my clients were pulled over for an alleged traffic violation. During the course of the stop, my clients were both cooperative and respectful with the police officers. With the two pistols that were found in the vehicle, they were both properly registered and the driver in the vehicle had the proper credentials to carry them. We have cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so,” Williams’ attorney, Todd Flood, said in a statement released to WXYZ-TV.

According to the report, Williams was riding as a passenger in a vehicle driven by his brother when they were stopped after midnight. Police asked Williams’ brother if there were any weapons in the vehicle, and he said there were two guns — one in the back seat and one under Jameson Williams’ passenger seat.

The gun in the back seat was registered to Williams’ brother, who had a concealed pistol license. The gun under the passenger seat was registered to Jameson Williams, who did not have a concealed pistol license, according to the report. Jameson Williams, who repeatedly identified himself as a player for the Lions during the stop according to body camera audio, was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car.

“I feel that there was probable cause to arrest, and he was under arrest by the patrol officer,” Detroit Police Commander Michael McGinnis told WXYZ-TV. “And because of that, he should have been conveyed to the Detroit Detention Center and processed.”

However, a supervisor and later a sergeant arrived at the scene and Williams was released after the sergeant made several phone calls to higher-ranking officers to find out if Williams should be arrested or if the concealed pistol license belonging to his brother covered both guns. Finally, he made a call to a lieutenant, whose comments cannot be heard in the body camera audio, and Williams was taken out of handcuffs and let go. No report was written by police on the traffic stop, according to the report.

When first questioned by WXYZ-TV, a deputy chief in the department said there was only one gun in the car; however, when Chief James White learned about the second gun in the vehicle, he shared parts of the body camera footage with the station and ordered the investigation.

“Jameson made us aware immediately that he was a passenger in a routine traffic stop on October 8th. We discussed the incident with him and have kept the league informed of what we know,” the Lions said in a statement to WXYZ-TV. “We understand he was released without incident or citation. It is now our understanding that the Detroit Police Department is revisiting the matter. Jameson has hired an attorney, and we will not be commenting further out of respect for the legal process.”

The traffic stop came two weeks before Williams was suspended two games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. Williams said in a statement last week the suspension was a “complete surprise.” He also was suspended four games last season for violating the league’s gambling policy.

Williams, selected 12th overall by the Lions in the 2022 draft, is second on the team this season with 361 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.