Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Sophomore starting defensive end, A.J. Williams[1], was arrested early Sunday morning (10/27/13) for running a stop sign and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also charged with possession of alcohol as a minor. He has been suspended from the football team for one game for “violation of team rules”. The local media reported this but gave few details. I think there are three additional interesting points to be made;
· When he ran the stop sign he almost caused an accident
· He lied to the police officer and told him that he was the designated driver and had not had anything to drink
· He was not drinking at a private party but want to a well-known bar, where he had to present a fake I.D. to be served. He has not turned in that I.D.
The police officer was just finishing up another traffic stop and that vehicle was driving away from the scene. The officer describes what he saw[2];
“I observed the vehicle drive away and begin to pick up speed. I then observed the vehicle's brake lights come on and come to an abrupt stop right before the intersection of Church St. and Elm Street. I estimated the vehicle's speed at approximately 20 mph before it stopped.
The reason why the vehicle stopped was due to an SUV pulling into the intersection from the 0 block of N. Elm Street. The SUV failed to yield the right of way to the vehicle approaching the intersection and constituted an immediate hazard by almost causing a collision. The SUV turned in front of the vehicle and continued westbound on W. Church St., passing directly by me.”[3],[4]
The vehicle made a left turn onto southbound Locust St. and the officer made traffic stop in the parking lot of McDonald’s. There were two passengers in the vehicle. One was Phillip Michael Jackson. The officer spoke to Mr. Williams about his drinking;
“I asked Williams if he had had anything to drink and he stated, "No, I'm good." I made Williams' aware that his eyes were bloodshot and he stated, "I'm just tired." I returned to my cruiser and deactivated my front, overhead lights and then returned to the vehicle and asked Williams to step out. Williams opened the vehicle door and proceeded to drop his wallet onto the ground. I observed Williams' front, pants pockets were inside out and his shoes were untied. Williams and I stepped away from the vehicle onto the sidewalk and began to converse. I again asked Williams if he had been drinking and he stated, "We are just driving around, I'm the DD." I detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on Williams' breath as he spoke.”
Mr. Williams failed all of the field sobriety tests that the officer administered. He refused to take a preliminary breath test;
_
“I offered Williams a breath test by means of a PBT. Williams stated his mother instructed him never to blow and he did not provide a sample. I informed Williams he was going to be placed under arrest for OVI and he stated, "I thought I performed the tests good." I took Williams into custody at this time and transported him to the Oxford Police Station for processing. The vehicle was impounded to the City of Oxford Impound located at 945 Collins Run Road.”
Mr. Williams was wearing a wristband from The Brick Street Bar and Grill, indicating that he was over 21 years of age[5]. I spoke with the bar manager and she said that they were very strict about checking I.D.s before anyone was given such a wristband. I also asked the spokesperson for the Oxford Police Department who said that the bar was very reliable in terms of checking I.D.s. Thus, it is very unlikely that he got the wristband without showing a false I.D.
Mr. Williams’ car was impounded[6] and he was transported to the Oxford Police station, where he took a breath test for alcohol. He tested 0.122, which well exceeds the legal limit[7]. A urine sample was taken for confirmatory testing. His driver’s license was suspended and confiscated.
“Williams was cited for Operation of Vehicle at Stop Signs in violation of Oxford City Code 331.19a, Operation while under the influence of alcohol in violation of Ohio Revised Code 4511.19A1a, 4511.19Ald and. Sales to and Use by Underage Persons in violation of Oxford City Code 529.02e. He was released OR upon his signature. He was polite, courteous and cooperative during the entire process.”
The Detroit Free Press and many others newspapers reported the arrest and that Coach Brady Hoke had suspended Williams for one game for “violation of team rules”[8]. A one game suspension seems to be the standard sanction for football players who are charged with a crime. Fitz Toussaint was arrested last year for drunken driving and Frank Clark was arrested for entering another student’s dorm room and stealing a lap top computer they were both suspended for one game[9].
Fitz Toussaint’s arrest was different in that he was of legal drinking age and he had been drinking at home, so he did not have to present a false I.D. to drink. The police officer did not find another I.D. on Mr. Williams or he would have been charged with another crime. In order for him to drink at The Brick Street Bar and Grill, Mr. Williams either had to present a false I.D. or a security guard had to let him have a wristband without checking his I.D. Either circumstance involves another crime. Thus, Mr. Williams has not yet come fully clean about the circumstances of his drunken driving arrest. In my opinion, the Coach should not reinstate him until he turns in his false I.D. or identifies someone who gave him the wristband without checking his I.D.
· When he ran the stop sign he almost caused an accident
· He lied to the police officer and told him that he was the designated driver and had not had anything to drink
· He was not drinking at a private party but want to a well-known bar, where he had to present a fake I.D. to be served. He has not turned in that I.D.
The police officer was just finishing up another traffic stop and that vehicle was driving away from the scene. The officer describes what he saw[2];
“I observed the vehicle drive away and begin to pick up speed. I then observed the vehicle's brake lights come on and come to an abrupt stop right before the intersection of Church St. and Elm Street. I estimated the vehicle's speed at approximately 20 mph before it stopped.
The reason why the vehicle stopped was due to an SUV pulling into the intersection from the 0 block of N. Elm Street. The SUV failed to yield the right of way to the vehicle approaching the intersection and constituted an immediate hazard by almost causing a collision. The SUV turned in front of the vehicle and continued westbound on W. Church St., passing directly by me.”[3],[4]
The vehicle made a left turn onto southbound Locust St. and the officer made traffic stop in the parking lot of McDonald’s. There were two passengers in the vehicle. One was Phillip Michael Jackson. The officer spoke to Mr. Williams about his drinking;
“I asked Williams if he had had anything to drink and he stated, "No, I'm good." I made Williams' aware that his eyes were bloodshot and he stated, "I'm just tired." I returned to my cruiser and deactivated my front, overhead lights and then returned to the vehicle and asked Williams to step out. Williams opened the vehicle door and proceeded to drop his wallet onto the ground. I observed Williams' front, pants pockets were inside out and his shoes were untied. Williams and I stepped away from the vehicle onto the sidewalk and began to converse. I again asked Williams if he had been drinking and he stated, "We are just driving around, I'm the DD." I detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on Williams' breath as he spoke.”
Mr. Williams failed all of the field sobriety tests that the officer administered. He refused to take a preliminary breath test;
_
“I offered Williams a breath test by means of a PBT. Williams stated his mother instructed him never to blow and he did not provide a sample. I informed Williams he was going to be placed under arrest for OVI and he stated, "I thought I performed the tests good." I took Williams into custody at this time and transported him to the Oxford Police Station for processing. The vehicle was impounded to the City of Oxford Impound located at 945 Collins Run Road.”
Mr. Williams was wearing a wristband from The Brick Street Bar and Grill, indicating that he was over 21 years of age[5]. I spoke with the bar manager and she said that they were very strict about checking I.D.s before anyone was given such a wristband. I also asked the spokesperson for the Oxford Police Department who said that the bar was very reliable in terms of checking I.D.s. Thus, it is very unlikely that he got the wristband without showing a false I.D.
Mr. Williams’ car was impounded[6] and he was transported to the Oxford Police station, where he took a breath test for alcohol. He tested 0.122, which well exceeds the legal limit[7]. A urine sample was taken for confirmatory testing. His driver’s license was suspended and confiscated.
“Williams was cited for Operation of Vehicle at Stop Signs in violation of Oxford City Code 331.19a, Operation while under the influence of alcohol in violation of Ohio Revised Code 4511.19A1a, 4511.19Ald and. Sales to and Use by Underage Persons in violation of Oxford City Code 529.02e. He was released OR upon his signature. He was polite, courteous and cooperative during the entire process.”
The Detroit Free Press and many others newspapers reported the arrest and that Coach Brady Hoke had suspended Williams for one game for “violation of team rules”[8]. A one game suspension seems to be the standard sanction for football players who are charged with a crime. Fitz Toussaint was arrested last year for drunken driving and Frank Clark was arrested for entering another student’s dorm room and stealing a lap top computer they were both suspended for one game[9].
Fitz Toussaint’s arrest was different in that he was of legal drinking age and he had been drinking at home, so he did not have to present a false I.D. to drink. The police officer did not find another I.D. on Mr. Williams or he would have been charged with another crime. In order for him to drink at The Brick Street Bar and Grill, Mr. Williams either had to present a false I.D. or a security guard had to let him have a wristband without checking his I.D. Either circumstance involves another crime. Thus, Mr. Williams has not yet come fully clean about the circumstances of his drunken driving arrest. In my opinion, the Coach should not reinstate him until he turns in his false I.D. or identifies someone who gave him the wristband without checking his I.D.
| 02_williams_police_report.pdf |
| 03_intersection_and_stop_sign.jpg |
| 04_map_of_traffic_stop.jpg |
| 05_evidence__property_log.pdf |
| 06_car_impound_records.pdf |
| 07_breath_alcohol_test.pdf |
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