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Former Detroit Lions player arrested in connection to Jan. 6 riots

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A former Detroit Lions player is facing federal charges relating to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

Antwione Williams, 31, was arrested on Thursday and is accused of assaulting law enforcement during the riots.

Photos allegedly show Williams during the breach of Capitol fences and they were included in the criminal complaint filed last week.

Williams was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and played just one season for the team. He went on to play for several other teams after the Lions.

It's alleged that Williams assaulted officers and tried to break down bike racks and barricades that tried to keep rioters from getting inside the Capitol building.

The U.S. Attorney's Office claims Williams was in the initial mob group trying to breach the Capitol.

He was arrested in Georgia and is facing multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including assaulting, resisting and impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.

Williams is the first person to be charged in the attack since Donald Trump won the 2024 election.

Trump has expressed that he would issue pardons or commute sentences of the rioters.