The Wayne County (Michigan) Prosecutor\u2019s Office decided not to charge Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle, and the NFL has followed suit by opting not to discipline the former Alabama All-American for the incident.<\/p>\n
After conducting its own investigation, the league has concluded the matter is \u201cclosed,\u201d as reported by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.<\/p>\n
On October 8, Detroit Police officers pulled over a vehicle driven by Williams\u2019 brother for speeding. The driver revealed there were two guns in the car \u2013 one on the back seat and one under the front-passenger seat, where Williams was sitting. The gun on the back seat was registered to Williams\u2019 brother, who held a concealed-pistol license, while the other gun was registered to Williams, who did not have such a license.<\/p>\n
Williams was handcuffed and detained for not possessing a CPL. However, after further assistance arrived and several phone calls were made, Williams was released at the scene and not transported to the Detroit Detention Center for processing.<\/p>\n
Detroit Police Commander Michael McGinnis stated during the review process, \u201cI feel there was probable cause to arrest, and he was under arrest by the patrol officer. And because of that, he should have been conveyed to the Detroit Detention Center and processed\u2026 I want to know if the fact that this individual was a Detroit Lions player, did that play a factor in the decision-making?\u201d<\/p>\n
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy explained that Williams would have been charged if he had been in possession of the gun during the traffic stop. Since he wasn\u2019t, the issue of whether his brother’s CPL applied to both guns in the car when neither occupant was directly holding them was raised. \u201cBecause the case law is silent regarding the specific issue,\u201d Worthy said in a statement, \u201cand the legislative intent of the CPL statute does not support charges under these facts, no charges will issue, and the warrant is denied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile no case has identical facts, we can look at similar facts, if possible, to aid us in our decision-making. We really could not recall any case that had facts mirroring this case. Every case is fact-specific. As always, we apply the alleged facts to the existing law. And the applicable law and its accompanying legislative history is far from clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the NFL\u2019s Personal Conduct Policy, a player doesn\u2019t need to be charged with a crime to face discipline from the league. The policy includes a list of prohibited behaviors such as \u201cillegal possession of a gun or other weapon (such as explosives, toxic substances, and the like), or possession of a gun or other weapon in any workplace setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams was previously suspended for violating the NFL\u2019s gambling policy by betting on non-league games while at a team facility, causing him to miss the first four games of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n
This season, Williams was also suspended for violating the league\u2019s Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances, missing Detroit\u2019s 52-14 win over the Tennessee Titans on October 27 and a 24-14 victory against the Green Bay Packers on November 3 while serving a two-game suspension.<\/p>\n
In his third NFL season, Williams posted 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 11 rushing attempts for 61 yards and one touchdown in 15 regular-season games. He had a 19-yard reception and a 61-yard touchdown run during the Lions\u2019 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the second round of the NFC playoffs on January 18.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Wayne County (Michigan) Prosecutor\u2019s Office decided not to charge Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle, and the NFL has followed suit by opting not to discipline the former Alabama All-American for the incident. After conducting its own investigation, the league has concluded the matter is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-detroit-lions"],"yoast_head":"\n