Police Brutality Alleged

A young newlywed couple was returning home from getting something to eat on what began as an ordinary day, enjoying their life together. As they were headed to their Grammont St. home, a Monroe police officer was parked to the side ahead of them. As they approached where the officer was, the officer cut in front of them and continued on his way. Eddie Williams and his wife didn't think much of it at the time. The officer allegedly sped away as Williams and his wife turned a corner heading home. Suddenly, Williams said he saw flashing lights behind him as he was only a few seconds from home. Williams pulled into the driveway of their residence as the officer was right behind them. They allege that the officer wasn't conducting himself in a professional way, telling them that Williams "didn't use a proper turn signal and ran stop signs". Williams counted, telling the officer that he didn't, and questioned him, asking if he did, why did he wait until then to stop him. The officer, they said, was allegedly agitated, and things quickly escalated. The officer asked for identification and went to do a background check. When the officer returned, he told Williams that there was a 2006 warrant on a "Eddie Williams" and that he was under arrest. Williams tried to explain that he wasn't the person the officer said he was, but the officer said the record indicated that it was him. Williams was still trying to explain, as he wasn't trying to run away. The officer attempted to take Williams into custody as another unit arrived. During a struggle, Williams was tased, with both individuals hitting the ground. The officer allegedly used a "leg sweep" to take Williams down, and in the ensuing struggle, Williams suffered a severe leg injury. Williams would suffer a major leg injury requiring major surgery, as the officer allegedly used his knee to inflict harm to Williams' leg. Williams now has screws in his leg to help facilitate the healing process.

Williams firmly believes that he and his wife were racially profiled since the officer appeared to go ahead of them and didn't stop them the first time he saw them. When they turned a corner, and the officer immediately appeared behind them, they believed the officer was after them. They believe the officer used a traffic infraction to "justify" him stopping them. They would come to know that the officer who had just broken Williams' leg was the same officer who had given him a ticket in 2020. There is video evidence of the encounter, though allegedly not from the arresting officer but from another officer on the scene. Williams and his counsel want access to that video, not just still pictures of the incident. They want to see what happened in live action when the incident occurred. They hope MPD will be forthcoming and not have another Timothy Williams incident. Williams said that his leg injury is progressing, but it will take time for him to have the full function of his leg as close as he can to normal. Williams believes that footage from the video will tell the whole story.