The Wayne County Prosecutor’s administrative center is reviewing a warrant request for the arrest of Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for an unclear type of weapon, WXYZ-TV in Detroit reported Tuesday.
The warrant request for carrying an unclear weapon in a car was issued by the Detroit Police Section, due to a traffic ban on October 8.
In a comment issued next Tuesday, the Detroit Police Section 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 arise, and we are committed to acting quickly and transparently,” the area mentioned in its comment. “Once new facts are confirmed, we make necessary changes to our decision-making process.
“Whether it’s sunny or not: no one in the city of Detroit is above the law. Anyone who commits a crime can be held responsible, without reference to their location or condition.”
The warrant request was made after an internal affairs investigation was opened after WXYZ-TV asked the police department why Williams was not taken into custody.
“On October 8, my clients were stopped for an alleged traffic violation. During the banning process, my clients were cooperative and respectful of law enforcement officers. With the two handguns found inside the car, “Everyone was properly registered and the driver of the vehicle had the proper credentials to retain them. We have now cooperated with authorities and can proceed to take action,” Williams’ attorney, Todd Flood, said in a statement to WXYZ-TV.
According to the report, Williams was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his brother when they were stopped after midnight. Police asked Williams’ brother if there were weapons in the vehicle and he said there were two weapons, 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 Lions player during the stop based on body camera audio, was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.
“I think there was a possible reason to arrest him, and he was under arrest by the patrol officer,” Detroit Police Commander Michael McGinnis told WXYZ-TV. “And as a result of that, he had to be taken to the Detroit Detention Center and processed.”
However, a supervisor and later a sergeant arrived on 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 weapons. Eventually, he called a lieutenant, whose comments cannot be heard on the body camera audio, and they removed Williams’ handcuffs and released him. According to the report, police did not write a report on the traffic stop.
When first questioned by WXYZ-TV, a department deputy chief said there was only one gun in the car; However, when Chief James White learned of the second gun in the vehicle, he shared portions of the body camera footage with the station and ordered the investigation.
“Jameson immediately made us aware that he was a passenger in a regime traffic ban on October 8. We discussed the incident with him and kept the league informed of what we know,” the Lions said in a statement to WXYZ. -TV. “We understand that he was excepted without incident or citation. We now know that the Detroit Police Section is reviewing the matter. Jameson has retained an attorney and we can no longer comment further due to criminal proceedings.”
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 that the suspension came as “quite a surprise.” He was also suspended four games last season for violating the league’s gaming policy.
Williams, selected 12th overall by the Lions in the 2022 draft, ranks second on the team this season with 361 receiving yards and three landing receptions.
