Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face any charges after being pulled over last month, local prosecutors said Monday.
Williams, who has already been suspended twice in three seasons in the league, was facing arrest on weapons charges when he was pulled over in the Detroit area after midnight on Oct. 8. But Williams was not taken to jail or charged over the incident and a police sergeant who happened to be a Lions fan arrived on the scene.
Williams and his brother had two handguns in their car when they were pulled over. The guns were properly registered and Williams’ brother has a concealed handgun license. But Williams did not and faced a charge of carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle.
But Williams was seen on body camera footage allegedly telling the officer he played for the Lions. He was handcuffed and placed in a police car, but the sergeant later released Williams. The sergeant immediately recognized Williams and he had the Lions logo wallpaper on his phone. He was reportedly pleased to release Williams as well after talking to the lieutenant on the phone.
“Okay. beautiful. Should I let him go?” asks the sergeant before hanging up the phone. “You’re a [expletive] hero. Thank you very much.’
Wayne County District Attorney Kym Worthy said in a statement via ESPN that no charges are being filed. They also said they still acted objectively despite Williams being a member of the Lions.
“We did not take into account in our decision that Mr. Williams is a professional athlete from Detroit,” she wrote via ESPN. “We have charged Detroit-area athletes before and would not hesitate 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 consider who a potential defendant is, how much power and influence they have, or how beloved they may be. We only deal with the facts and the law.”
The Detroit Police Department issued a similar statement.
“This case illustrates how challenging on-the-spot arrest decisions and subsequent charging decisions can be in novel and unique situations like this,” the statement said. “While 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 No. 12 overall pick in 2022. He missed most of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in college before being suspended during his sophomore season for violating the league’s gambling policy. He was suspended for two games earlier this season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Williams has been great since his return. He had a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown in a win over Jacksonville two weeks ago. He had a team-high 64 yards on five catches in Sunday’s 24-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts. That led him to 602 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
The Lions next take on the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day. They are currently 10-1 to lead the NFC, marking their best start since 1934.