Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face any charges after he was arrested last month, local prosecutors said Monday.
Williams, who has now been suspended twice in his three seasons in the league, was in the Detroit area after midnight on Oct. 8. But Williams was not taken to jail or charged for the incident, and a police sergeant arrived who happened to be a Lions fan.
Williams and his brother had two handguns in the car when they were stopped. The weapons were properly registered and Williams’ brother has a concealed pistol permit. However, Williams does not and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle.
But Williams was seen on body camera footage reportedly telling the officer he played for the Lions. He was handcuffed and put in a police car, but a sergeant later released Williams. The sergeant immediately recognized Williams and had the Lions logo as the wallpaper on his phone. He was reportedly happy to release Williams as well after speaking to a lieutenant on the phone.
“Okay. Good. Am I okay with letting him go?” the sergeant asks before hanging up. “You are one [expletive] hero. Thank you very much.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement that they would not be filing charges. They also said they still acted objectively despite Williams being a member of the Lions.
“We did not take into account in our decision-making that Mr. Williams is a professional athlete from Detroit,” she wrote, via ESPN. “We have charged Detroit-area athletes before and would not have hesitated to do so again if the facts of this case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“When it comes to making charging decisions, we don’t take into account who the potential suspect is, how much power and influence he has, or how well-liked he is. We are only concerned with the facts and the law.”
The Detroit Police Department also issued a similar statement.
“This case illustrates how challenging on-the-spot arrest determinations and subsequent charging decisions can be in novel and unique situations such as the one here,” the statement said. “While no charges will be filed in this case, we as an agency agree with 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 while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in college, then was suspended during his sophomore season for . He was also the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
Williams has been great since his return. He racked up a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown in their win over Jacksonville two weeks ago. He also had a team-high 64 yards on five catches in their 24-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. That put him at 602 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
The Lions will take on the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. They are currently 10-1 and lead the NFC, marking their best start since 1934.
