Warrant Request Issued For Suspended Lions WR Jameson Williams: Report
A warrant request for the arrest of suspended Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is reportedly being reviewed by the Wayne County Prosector's Office, WXYZ-TV reports.
Williams could face a potential charge of carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle stemming from a traffic stop that took place on October 8. The warrant request was issued late last week, days after the wide receiver was suspended two games for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances policy .
The Detroit Police Department said the investigation "continues to evolve, and new information has come to light that we are actively addressing" in a statement obtained by ESPN on Tuesday.
"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. "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 followed an internal affairs investigation questioning why Williams wasn't taken into custody during the traffic stop.
"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 obtained by WXYZ-TV.
Williams was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle driven by his brother at the time of the traffic stop, which took place after midnight, according to the report. A gun located under Williams' passenger seat was registered to the wide receiver, who didn't have a concealed pistol license, the report states.
Williams repeatedly identified himself as a Lions player during the traffic stop and was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car, according to body camera footage.
"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."
Williams was released after a sergeant, who arrived at the scene late, made several phone calls to higher-ranking officers, which included one to a lieutenant, whose comments couldn't be heard on the body camera footage, before the wide receiver was released from custody. No report was written in relation to the traffic stop, according to WXYZ-TV.
Williams was selected by the Lions at No. 12 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, but missed the first 10 games of his rookie season due to a torn ACL he suffered in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game several months prior. The 23-year-old recorded 24 receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns, as well as three rushing attempts for 29 yards and one touchdown in 2023.
Williams, who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Ohio State, recorded 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns during his lone season at Alabama in 2021.
