Police in Detroit are conducting an internal investigation after Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was not locked up following a traffic stop despite the discovery of a gun under his seat that he didn’t have a permit to carry, authorities said.
Chief James White was “very unhappy about the totality of the circumstances here,” Commander Michael McGinnis told WXYZ-TV.
The gun was registered to Williams, but he does not have a concealed-carry permit, the TV station reported.
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Without a permit in Michigan, a gun owner typically must place the weapon in a closed case while in a vehicle. A violation is a felony.
Williams was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car on Oct. 8. He was a passenger in a car driven by his brother, who had his own gun and a concealed-carry permit, WXYZ reported.
“I play for the Lions, bro. I’m Jameson Williams,” Williams said, according to body-camera video obtained by the TV station.
He said he lives in Detroit and needs the gun for protection.
“I feel that there was probable cause to arrest, and he was under arrest by the patrol officer,” McGinnis said. “And because of that, he should have been conveyed to the Detroit Detention Center and processed.”
But Williams was released after a sergeant arrived and talked by phone with other senior officers. The gun was also returned.
The traffic stop appeared to be closed until WXYZ began asking questions. The Wayne County prosecutor’s office said it’s now reviewing the case for possible charges.
“We just don’t know at this point,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday at an unrelated news conference.
In a statement, the Detroit Police Department said: “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.”
Williams’ attorney, Todd Flood, suggested that no law was broken because Williams’ brother had a concealed-carry permit that could cover both guns.
“We have cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so,” Flood said.
Williams, a first-round draft pick in 2022, will miss this week’s game against Green Bay as part of a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He missed four games in 2023 for violating the league’s gambling policy.
The team said it was immediately informed about the traffic stop.
“It certainly doesn’t look good,” coach Dan Campbell said when asked about Williams’ latest off-the-field problem.
But Campbell also said he knows “what this kid is made of. He’s worth hanging with.”
“He’s going to learn from this,” the coach said, “And he’s going to grow and he’s going to be better for all this.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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