Former Detroit Lions player charged over Capitol riot

A former Detroit Lions linebacker was arrested and charged with allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other offenses over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Leander Antwione Williams, 31, of Savannah, Ga., was charged with a felony offense of resisting, assaulting and impending law police officers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington. 

Williams was also charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses, including disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds and entering and remaining in a restricted building, the DOJ said in a Thursday news release. 

The DOJ said he was arrested by the FBI in Savannah on Thursday and “will make his initial appearance in the Southern District of Georgia.” 

Prosecutors alleged that Williams was in one of the initial groups of rioters “to breach the restricted permitter of Capitol grounds” and attacked Capitol Police officers. 

The former fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft “confronted and overpowered” law enforcement that was stationed on the perimeter, according to court records. Later, he allegedly attempted to seize one of the bike racks from an officer who tried to clear the plaza. As the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) tried to push the crowd back, Williams “allegedly lunged at an officer, swatting at the officer's hand as the officer deployed spray to prevent the rioters from advancing.” 

Later, he grabbed a barricade. MPD officers tried to push him back, but Williams allegedly resisted and “struck an officer on the head with a forceful arm motion.” 

Williams was identified in photos released by the FBI as "AFO-419" (Assault on Federal Officer). 

Since January 2021, over 1,560 individuals have been charged regarding the attack on the Capitol, according to the DOJ. Over 590 were charged with felonies of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.