Photo Courtesy of News 4 Jax
Brittany Chrishawn Williams of Jacksonville, Florida, has been found not guilty of felony charges against a police officer after Jacksonville Police broke her teeth during her arrest.
Williams’ lawyer, Jeff Chukwuma, told the Atlanta Black Star, “When the alleged batteries were committed, the officers were acting unlawfully.”
“So even if we believe that she allegedly committed a battery, the most she could be charged with is misdemeanor battery. So for both of the counts, this is a legal argument. One that’s not to go to the jury, but more so for the judge to decide. And that’s why we have to present it in the manner in which we did, as a motion to dismiss.”
On May 13, 2020, a video went viral of officer, A. Carmona, parked in Williams’ driveway. The officer reportedly was checking emails when Williams approached him and asked him to leave. The officer said she “immediately threw a spoon with an unknown green substance on it at me while I was sitting in my car,” which she was later not found guilty.
When other officers arrived at the scene, they attacked the woman, kneeled on her neck, slammed her face to the ground– breaking two teeth. Officers then arrested Williams, saying that she had a gun, threatened to shoot officers, and injured a deputy. Ultimately, Williams was charged with battery on the two deputies, which would have had her face up to 10 years in prison.
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Despite not being convicted for charges against the officer, the jury found Williams guilty of a misdemeanor charge after she resisted an officer without violence.
“I don’t even want to accept even a misdemeanor, but that’s the strategy they’re taking,” Williams told the outlet. “I get that because then we can work on getting the misdemeanors dropped. But I just need those charges dropped because it’s almost a year later, and I’m dealing with the emotional and mental stresses of having to fight this case. And having that held over my head, you know, that I could still be going to prison for something that’s so obvious. Like, I shouldn’t be dealing with this.”
Williams will have to spend six months on probation for the misdemeanor charge, undergo a mental health evaluation and anger management therapy, and write a letter of apology to officer C.N. Padgett, who arrested and injured her.