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Ex-NFL Player Charged in January 6 Capitol Riot

A former professional American football player, Antwoine Williams, has been charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Williams is facing serious felony charges, including civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement, along with several misdemeanor offenses.

The charges were filed on November 7, marking the first Capitol riot-related case to be brought since Donald Trump was re-elected as president. Williams, originally from Georgia, was a standout defensive player at Georgia Southern University before being drafted into the NFL by the Detroit Lions.

Antwoine Williams, a former professional football player, spent just one season with the Detroit Lions in 2016 before being released and briefly joining several other football teams. Now, he faces felony charges in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot.

Court documents reveal that Williams, 31, was seen in videos from the riot, where thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol following Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. In the footage, Williams can be seen pulling on barricades, striking a police officer on the head, and engaging in physical struggles with other officers. Prosecutors allege that he remained on the Capitol grounds until later that evening.

Williams was identified by his distinctive golf hat and key fob, which were visible in both the riot videos and other online images. He was later dubbed “RiotingGolfer” by a group of online volunteers known as “sedition hunters,” who track down individuals involved in the Capitol riot using social media and video footage.

More than 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack, where Trump supporters disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory. Donald Trump has suggested he might pardon some rioters, though he hasn’t specified the criteria for doing so. This promise has led some rioters to request delays in their trials or sentencing, hoping for a potential pardon. While a few judges have agreed to delay hearings, others have denied similar requests.

The FBI continues its search for dozens of additional suspects who participated in the riot.

 

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