Former Detroit Lions player Antwione Williams charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots

DETROIT (FOX 2) – A former Detroit Lion has been charged for his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021 riots in the US capital on Thursday.

Court documents show former linebacker Leander Antwione Williams has faced 15 charges, including:

• 1 count Assaulting an officer
• 3 counts of civil disorder
• 1 count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
• 2 counts of disorderly conduct
• 4 counts of committing violence in a building or premises to which there is no access
• 2 counts of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
• 2 counts of physical assault on Capitol grounds or building.

A judge said Williams was identified after the FBI began posting photos of him at the U.S. Capitol that day in July 2021, with the caption “AFO-419” to people assigned to help discover who he was. In September 2022, authorities say the FBI received a tip about Williams’ identity, referring to his Instagram account where he is wearing a New Era Golf hat, the same hat AFO-419 wore on January 6.

In other photos, Williams is seen with a set of keys on his right hip, a red key fob used for Chevrolet model cars, including 2016 and newer Cameros. According to authorities, footage from the Capitol grounds that day showed AFO-419 wearing the same red key fob on his hip.

A judge said based on videos and photos from AFO-419, the descriptions matched Williams’.

Officials say FBI agents checked Williams’ credit card information in August. In doing so, they discovered a purchase on January 6, 2021 in a parking lot at the Rosslyn Metro Center across the Potomac River from Washington DC.

Authorities say Williams was one of the first rioters to breach the perimeter on the property that day. He and the rioters grabbed a bike rack barricade and tried to get through when he was pushed away by an officer. Williams allegedly responded by jumping up and forcefully driving his hand and arm into an officer’s head. Williams was again pushed away by another officer.

18 minutes later, Williams allegedly grabbed and pushed two other officers. Afterwards, as rioters took over the West Plaza, officials say Williams joined in the chant of “USA!” and smashed his fist over his head.

According to court documents, Williams remained with the crowd until the evening.

In 2016, Williams was selected in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions as their linebacker. He was eventually waived, landing him with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. His career took him to the Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers and the DC Defenders. He was excluded from every team.

This is a breaking story. FOX 2 will update this story as we learn more information about Williams.