A former Detroit Lions linebacker who played at Georgia Southern University has been arrested on charges related to the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Leander Antwione Williams, 31, was arrested Thursday in Savannah on charges of assaulting, resisting or obstructing certain officers and obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder, the U.S. Department of Justice said. He also faces several felony charges, including acts of physical violence on Capitol grounds.
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The DOJ claims Williams was one of the first rioters to breach the Capitol perimeter. They say he pushed through the crowd and fought with Capitol police officers.
They say he tried to grab a metal bike rack from an officer trying to maintain control of the area and punched at another officer’s hand while trying to spray spray into the crowd.
DOJ officials say Williams stayed on the front lines and even used other rioters as cover
He stayed in the area between the rioters, pushed back against the officers and chanted, “USA! USA!” for most of the day before leaving the Capitol grounds in the evening, the DOJ says.
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Williams attended Lovejoy High School in Henry County before playing football at Georgia Southern from 2011 to 2015.
He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent just one season with the Lions before bouncing around to practice with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers.
The DOJ says more than 1,561 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states in connection with the January 6, 2021 riot. More than 590 of them have been charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.
You can read the DOJ’s full report on Williams below.
US DOJ report on Leander Antwione Williams by Jennifer Smith on Scribd
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