DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it will not charge Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams after a gun registered to Williams was found under his seat while he was riding in his brother's car. Williams does not have a Concealed Pistol License.
7 News Detroit was the first to report on the incident that led to an internal investigation within the Detroit Police Department.
The star wide receiver came into contact with police after midnight on Oct. 8 when officers pulled over a vehicle being driven by Williams' brother near the corner of Connor and Jefferson Avenue. The vehicle was stopped, police say, for speeding.
When questioned by an officer, Williams’ brother disclosed that there were two guns in the car: the first laid in the back seat while the second, according to police, was under Williams’ seat.
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Officers found that the gun in the backseat was registered to Williams brother who had a concealed pistol license, or CPL.
While the gun under Williams’ seat was registered to him, he did not possess a CPL.
Williams was taken into custody for carrying a concealed weapon, but was later released from custody after DPD supervisors arrived at the scene.
What the prosecutor's office said
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said her office received a warrant request on Oct. 25, 2024, and was investigating whether or not Williams' brother was in possession of the gun as the operator of the vehicle, and if it was lawful for him to do that based on his brother's valid CPL.
The prosecutor's office said that they had not found specific case law on whether or not a CPL can extend to another person's weapon, and they haven't found any cases where the specific facts included the facts involved in the Williams investigation.
"Because the case law is silent regarding the specific issue, and the legislative intent of the CPL statute does not support charges under these facts, no charges will issue in this matter, and the warrant is denied," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
“While 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 that mirrored 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," Worthy said in a statement.
She said her office will need guidance in the future on how many weapons a valid CPL can have control over. She urged the legislature to look at the law and make a decision.
"Despite all of this, if Mr. Williams had the gun on his person, he would have been charged," Worthy said.
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