A former Georgia Southern University and Detroit Lions linebacker was arrested Thursday in Savannah and charged with assaulting police during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Leander Antwione Williams, 31, faces charges of assaulting police and civil disorder, both felonies, along with five misdemeanor charges relating to his alleged actions during a riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump at the Capitol almost four years ago.
Williams is accused of hitting, grabbing and pushing police officers who had formed a line on the Capitol’s West Terrace to prevent rioters from entering the building.
“As the violence between the rioters and the police officers escalated, Williams remained squarely with the rioters and often used the other rioters to hide his own actions,” an FBI account of Williams’ alleged actions states.
In the conflict, Williams is accused of pulling away a temporary barricade and striking a police officer on the head with his arm and fist as a crowd of rioters attempted to break the police line and storm the Capitol. He is accused of striking and grappling with other officers during the melee.
Williams is not accused of entering the Capitol, but investigators said he stayed on the Capitol grounds into the evening at “the epicenter of some of the most chaos and violence against police officers.”
The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, while the civil disorder charge has a possible five-year sentence.
The FBI identified Williams from tips, photographs taken during the riot and his own credit card activity. According to court documents, two of the telltale signs that aided in his identification were a distinctive automotive key fob he wore on his belt and a black New Era golf cap he allegedly wore to the riot and also wore in photos posted to social media.
Credit: U.S. Department of Justice
Credit: U.S. Department of Justice
A fifth-round draft pick, Williams played one season with the Lions in 2016. He tried out for the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers but never saw playing time. The Vikings released him after he was arrested in 2018 on charges of drunken driving. Public records show he was convicted of misdemeanor careless driving.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Williams was a four-year starter at Georgia Southern and graduated in 2015 with a degree in psychology. Voting records show Williams is registered in Chatham County. Prior to that, he was in Douglas County.
Williams is the 35th person with Georgia ties to be arrested in connection to the riot. Nationally, almost 1,600 people have been charged in the riot, and about 590 have been charged with assaulting police.
Williams’ arrest comes as many Jan. 6 defendants look to Trump for possible pardons. During his successful campaign to return to the White House, Trump made many comments about the defendants, calling them “hostages” and “patriots,” but he has not laid out a specific plan or criteria for pardoning them.
Data reporter Phoebe Quinton contributed to this article.
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