DETROIT (WXYZ) — The internal affairs investigation into the near arrest of Detroit Lions star Jameson Williams was opened over concerns that then-Police Chief James White was misled about a gun found under Williams’ seat.
The probe, now into its third week, is looking into whether supervisors intentionally withheld information about the gun that was registered to Williams, who did not have a concealed pistol license, and whether his status as an athlete influenced the decision not to arrest him.
The department said Thursday that while its investigation is still pending, wrongdoing has already been discovered.
"Preliminarily, the Department has identified several failures that occurred on the evening of the traffic stop. Any violations of DPD policy, including the actions of involved supervisors, will be addressed," a department spokesman said.
Related Video: Detroit police investigating why Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams avoided arrest after gun found in car
“It’s something I’d candidly like concluded here very soon,” White said in an interview last Thursday, promising the department would share the findings, whatever they were, when the investigation concludes.
Repeatedly, sources say, White had been told that the only gun found was laying in the back seat of the vehicle being driven by Williams’ brother.
But a subsequent review of police body camera video revealed that that wasn’t true: that a second gun — registered to Williams — was found under the Lions’ wide receiver’s seat, and he didn’t have a CPL.
“Given that there was two guns and that one of the guns was located within the wingspan of the passenger and that gun is registered to the passenger, that changes the circumstances,” said Cmdr. Michael McGinnis, who is leading the investigation, in an interview last month.
Related Video: Body camera video shows interaction between Detroit police officer and Williams
Williams was originally placed in his handcuffs by the officer who pulled him over, who planned to take him to the Detroit Detention Center. But after a sergeant was called to the scene and made calls to supervisors, the decision was made to release Williams and return his gun.
No police report was written, and a warrant was not submitted to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office. After learning of the second gun on Oct. 23, White ordered that a warrant request be submitted.
Williams’ attorney, Todd Flood, says that Williams’ brother had a CPL that would have covered the Lions’ wide-receiver’s gun.
“I give White and McGinnis credit saying we need to investigate this,” said Steve Dolunt, a former DPD assistant chief who spent 31 years with the department. “Because if (they) were misled intentionally, (they) have a problem with this officer or officers or supervisors or whatever.”
Dolunt says if he had pulled Williams and his brother over that night, he would have arrested the wide receiver because his gun was found under his seat and he didn’t have a CPL.
“If it’s Joe Blow on the street, I would have locked him up. Taken him in,” he said.
That was the initial decision made by the officer at the scene, which McGinnis said was proper.
Related Video: Body camera video shows Detroit police officer detain Jameson Williams
During the stop, Williams made it known that he was a member of the Detroit Lions, and his brother placed a call on speaker phone from the front seat.
“I got the head of the Detroit Lions security supervisor right here on the phone with me. He’s trying to see like what’s going on, why you all trying to do that,” Williams brother can be heard saying. He did not provide the man’s name.
The sergeant said he was not interested in talking to the Lions employee.
“If they made phone calls, that doesn’t surprise me. Because when I was there, people made phone calls all the time,” Dolunt said.
“And does that work?” asked Channel 7’s Ross Jones.
“It depends,” Dolunt said. “It depends.”
It is not clear tonight if the phone calls made any difference in how Williams was treated, but it’s one of the questions being asked by internal affairs.
“We encourage our players to inform our security team immediately, should they have interactions with law enforcement,” a Lions spokesman said in a statement. “This ensures that we are getting the information directly from them and can communicate any issues with the league in a timely and appropriate manner.”
Investigators also want to know who supervisors on the scene that night called that led them to release Williams.
At one point, a sergeant appears to make a phone call, then turns off his body camera as it sounds like a conversation is about to start.
Internal affairs wants to know who the sergeant called, and why he turned his body camera off.
Once the IA investigation is over — perhaps as soon as this week — Kym Worthy’s office will have to decide whether to act on a warrant submitted late last month after White learned of the second gun.
While anything is possible, most legal experts tell 7 News Detroit they’d be surprised if Worthy authorizes felony charges.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
