Ex-Panthers LB Charged With Assaulting Police In Jan. 6 Riots
Former Panthers Linebacker Antwione Williams Charged With Assaulting Police During Jan. 6 Insurrection
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Antwione Williams was arrested Thursday (Nov. 14) for his role in the Jan. 6 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The 31-year-old (full name Leander Antwione Williams) was arrested in Georgia after the criminal complaint was filed in DC federal court on November 7, marking the first new insurrection arrest since former President Donald Trump won a second term in office.
The charges Williams faces include:
- Felony charge of civil disorder and assaulting
- Felony charge of resisting or impeding police
- Multiple misdemeanor charges
According to the charging documents, Williams is seen in open source video and Capitol Police bodycam footage pulling bike rack barricades away from officers and striking an officer on the head with his arm. Other footage shows Williams grabbing and struggling with a USCP and MPD officer.
After the mob infiltrated the West Plaza, investigators said Williams joined in chants of “U.S.A.!” and made his way to the Lower West Terrace, where rioters fought with police for hours to gain entry into the Capitol. According to the documents, Williams stayed on Capitol grounds until later that evening.
Williams was identified in part thanks to a distinct key fob and golf hat he wore during the riot. Investigators said they were able to match both to other publicly available photos of Williams, including some from his Instagram.
Williams was a 5th-round draft pick in the 2016 NFL draft, selected by the Detroit Lions. After being waved in 2017, he played for the practice squads for the Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks.
Williams signed with the XFL’s (now UFL) DC Defenders in December 2019 but was waived two months later.
Despite the charges against him, it is unclear if Williams’ case will move forward. With Trump promising to pardon some, if not all, of the 1,500+ people charged in connection to the riots after he’s back in office, only time will tell.
Former Panthers Linebacker Antwione Williams Charged With Assaulting Police During Jan. 6 Insurrection was originally published on foxync.com