DETROIT (WXYZ) — While Detroit’s top cop said he would have arrested Jameson Williams on the night of his well-publicized stop by police, he’s comfortable with supervisors’ decision to let the Lions wide receiver go.
With an internal affairs investigation into the Williams near-arrest from October now complete, interim Chief Todd Bettison said the probe “hasn’t revealed really anything nefarious on anybody’s intent to cover up or give special treatment or privilege.”
But he says policy violations have been found, and at least one officer who arrived at the scene that night is currently suspended.
As 7 News Detroit first reported, Williams and his brother were stopped for speeding during the early hours of Oct. 8. Police found a gun at Williams’ feet that was registered in his name, but Williams did not have a concealed pistol license.
An officer handcuffed Williams with plans to convey him to the Detroit Detention Center, but he was later overruled after a sergeant arrived on the scene, who phoned a lieutenant.
WATCH BELOW: Video shows Detroit police officer detain Jameson Williams
The lieutenant ultimately made the call to release Williams, believing that his brother’s CPL covered both guns found in the car.
Officers did not submit a warrant to the prosecutor as they should have, Cmdr. Michael McGinnis said in November, and were instructed to after the fact.
In November, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it would not be seeking charges against Williams over the incident.
“If it was John Smith in the passenger seat and not Jameson Williams that night,” said Chanel 7’s Ross Jones, “are all these calls going to be made that ultimately lead to the result of: take the cuffs off and let him go?”
“It depends,” Bettison said, adding: “Everybody knows somebody.”
“I’ve had situations where there’s a lot of citizens in Detroit got my cellphone (number). Also, they have called me in the middle of police interactions. And my instruction is always: comply, I can get a supervisor to the scene. And that’s one of the things citizens can ask for,” Bettison said.
The interim chief says that while the sergeant who responded to the scene that night was a Lions fan — he recognized Williams’ name and had the Lions logo as his cellphone wallpaper — he doesn’t believe that played a role in how Williams was treated.
At one point, the sergeant can be heard whispering to one of the officers who stopped Williams: “I’m so mad at you two.”
But Bettison said the sergeant was deemed to only be joking and that he expressed concern over arresting Williams even before he knew who he was.
Still, Bettison said the investigation has uncovered procedural violations that will warrant discipline including a sergeant who turned off his body camera in the midst of the stop and a lieutenant who made the decision to release Williams over the phone, rather than coming to the scene.
WATCH BELOW: Prosecutor: No charges issued against Lions WR Jameson Williams in gun case
Bettison said that Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes was found to have shared incorrect information with Channel 7 back in October: specifically, that there was only one gun found in the car when there were actually two.
Bettison says Hayes was unprepared and should have reviewed body camera footage from that night before sharing incorrect information with reporters.
But the department’s investigation also raises questions about whether Hayes was truthful with Channel 7 when asked about his role in the stop.
Back on Oct. 18 — 10 days after Williams was nearly arrested — Hayes was interviewed by Jones by phone. The interview was recorded.
During the call, Hayes was asked about contact between DPD and the Lions organization and whether anyone in the department was contacted by anyone from the Lions organization.
Jones: “Did DPD receive any calls from anybody from the Lions?”
Hayes: “Not that I… I would have to check with the team. I am not sure.”
Jones: “Not that you’re aware of at this point?
Hayes: “Not that I’m aware of at this point.”
But the internal affairs investigation found that Hayes himself had been called that night by the Lions head of security, a retired DPD sergeant.
Bettison said Hayes' statement to Channel 7 didn’t make sense, prompting him to look into it further.
After talking with Hayes, Bettison concluded that the deputy chief was not trying to be misleading but was confused.
He said during the phone call with Channel 7, Hayes was thrown off by the presence of a member of the department’s media team — Bettison said the employee made a hand gesture — prompting Hayes to give an incorrect answer.
“If folks are motioning (and) I’m doing an interview right now and we’re over the phone and they’re motioning to me, it could throw my thought off. It could make me say and become unsure,” Bettison said.
“So he was distracted by a member of the media team — that’s why he gave an answer that was not accurate?” Jones asked.
“I’m not going to recharacterize it or say it like that, Ross,” Bettison said. “But that’s what Deputy Hayes told me.”
Reached by phone, Hayes said he was not trying to be misleading during the phone interview. He denied being aware of receiving calls from the Lions that night because he believed he had called the Lions first.
Hayes said he serves as a liaison between the department and Detroit’s sports teams.
“I’m giving Deputy Chief Hayes the benefit of the doubt. I’ve never known Deputy Chief Hayes to be a liar,” Bettison said.
Finally, at least one Detroit police officer has been suspended over what happened during the stop, but not for a reason related to the decision to release Williams.
DPD says that an argument over the stop ensued between a female officer on the scene and the officer who attempted to arrest Williams.
She would be accused of calling the officer derogatory names and when the department reviewed her body camera video from that night, it was revealed that she called the officer a homophobic slur.
“Some very disturbing things were said to one of my officers by another officer,” Bettison said, adding: “An (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) investigation has been opened into that matter. And so as a result, I do have an officer that preliminarily has been suspended.”
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
