Police arrested a 20-year-old North St. Louis County resident for shooting and wounding two police officers during a protest outside of the Ferguson Police Department on March 12, officials announced today (Sun, March 15), but the man claims the shots were fired as part of a dispute and were not aimed at police.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch said that the shooter, Jeffrey Williams, “acknowledged his participation” in firing the shots but said they were fired during a fight that had “nothing to do with the protest.” The shots were fired from a car, McCulloch said at a press conference held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the St. Louis County Justice Center.
“We are not 100 percent sure there was a dispute, and that’s part of the claim right now,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch said that the public, including those present at the protest, cooperated with the investigation and contributed information that led to the arrest.
Police arrested Williams on March 14 at 10:30 p.m. He faces life in prison and is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center in lieu of a $300,000 cash-only bond. Williams is African American, 5’11 and 150 lbs, according to police records.
The shots came from a hill overlooking the station shortly after midnight Wednesday, just a few hours after Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson announced that he planned to resign, effective March 19. Belmar previously said that officers saw “muzzle flashes” about 125 yards away.
One St. Louis County officer and one from the Webster Groves Police Department were hit and injured. The 32-year-old Webster Groves officer, a five-year veteran of the force, was struck once in the face. The 41-year-old St. Louis County officer, a 14-year veteran of the force, was struck once in the shoulder. Both officers have been released from the hospital.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said Sunday that the officers are “getting better and not getting any worse.”
Williams faces two charges of first-degree assault, one count of firing a weapon from a vehicle with injury and two counts of armed criminal action. McCulloch said regardless of whether he was intentionally targeting the officers or not, the charge would still be first-degree assault and the sentencing is the same.
McCulloch said that police found a .40-caliber handgun at Williams’ home through a search warrant, and the shell casings that police found at the scene matched the found gun.
McCulloch also claimed that Williams had been at previous demonstrations. However on Williams’ Facebook page, there are no posts about attending any protests. The only post that refers to him going to Ferguson is on September 23, 2014, when he states he heard that there was some looting going on West Florissant Avenue.
“Dam i heard mfs on west florrisant again on tht looting sht again…lhh gotta make my way tht way,” he posted under his Facebook name Jeff Loc Williams.
According to his page, he studied at Riverview Gardens High School.
Bishop Derrick Robinson told The American he visited Williams in jail on Sunday.
According to Robinson, Williams said St. Louis County Police officers beat him while handcuffed after they arrived at his home with a search warrant on Saturday night. Robinson also said Williams claimed that police ignored his request for counsel, a violation of federal Miranda rights.
The St. Louis County Police said claims of beating Williams and Miranda violations are “completely false” & will check on body cam footage.
Several protesters who regularly attend the demonstrations immediately tweeted that they’ve never seen Williams.
DeRay Mckesson, who witnessed the shooting, tweeted: “No, I cannot recall ever seeing the suspected shooter, Jeffrey Williams, at any protests, including the night in question.”
St. Louis American photojournalist Lawrence Bryant, who has worked almost every protest since August 9, said he noticed Williams “hanging around” at the protest on Wednesday – specifically as a new face he had never seen before.
“I always notice new faces,” Bryant said, “because I wonder what they are there for.”
McCulloch said the investigation is still in the early stages, and he encouraged anyone who has information to contact Crimestoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas
