A former Detroit Lions linebacker has been charged in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.
Antwione Williams, 31, was arrested in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said Williams was one of the first group of rioters to breach the restricted perimeter of the Capitol grounds.
“There, after pushing through a crowd that had gathered near a line of bike racks, Williams confronted and overpowered Capitol Police officers stationed at the Pennsylvania Walkway perimeter. Once past this police line, Williams moved toward the Capitol’s West Plaza, where police officers were attempting to form defensive lines against the advancing rioters,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
🚨BREAKING: Former #Lions LB Antwione Williams was arrested today for his involvement with the January 6th, US capitol incident.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 15, 2024
He faces felony counts for assault, resisting, impeding officers, & obstruction of law enforcement.
The FBI identified him using a unique red key fob pic.twitter.com/BaMwp4D5ZY
Federal authorities said Williams lunged at an officer and swatted at their hand to stop the officer from deploying pepper spray. Williams is also accused of striking another officer on the head.
“At approximately 2:09 p.m., Williams again allegedly pushed against the bike rack line, attempting to break through the officers’ defensive formation, but the line held temporarily. About 18 minutes later, with the bike racks removed, Williams returned to the officers, allegedly grabbing and shoving two officers—one from the Capitol Police and one from MPD—in another attempt to breach the line,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
Authorities say Williams had the same red key fob for a Chevrolet vehicle hanging from his waist when he was arrested as he did on the day of the insurrection, CNN reported.
Williams was charged with assault, obstruction of law enforcement, and disorderly conduct, among others. He was released on bond Thursday following his court appearance where he pleaded not guilty, according to CNN. His next court appearance will be on Nov. 21.
Williams was a bust in the NFL. The Lions selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In his lone NFL season, he recorded 17 tackles over 14 games with no sacks. Detroit waived Williams after just one year.
From 2017 to 2018, he was signed to the practice squads of the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and Carolina Panthers but never played in a game and was eventually let go.
He last played for the D.C. Defenders in the XFL in 2020 before being released.
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