The University of Memphis (UM) would not say Saturday whether it plans to allow Mikey Williams, a star basketball player, to return to the team after he pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony gun charge in order to avoid prison time.
According to several reports, Williams pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a criminal threat stemming from an April shooting outside his California home.
As part of the plea deal, Williams will be required to complete 80 hours of community service, cognitive behavioral therapy and gun safety and anger management courses. Upon completion of those stipulations, Williams’ felony will be reduced to misdemeanor.
Williams was initially facing up to 30 years in prison for six counts of assault with a firearm, one count of firing into an occupied motor vehicle and two counts of making threats that could result in death or great bodily injury.
On April 13, Williams was present when a weapon was brandished and fired into a vehicle containing six occupants outside his home. Whether Williams fired the weapon remains unknown.
“I feel good, brother. You know, all glory to God. I’m just happy that I made it out of this situation. But I’m just excited to get back to the court,” he said in a video walking out of the California courthouse.
So ready to see Mikey Williams back on the basketball court 🙂 @619PRESIDENTIAL pic.twitter.com/lmt2fLrrtQ
— Overtime (@overtime) November 30, 2023
Williams, a highly-touted recruit, has been taking online courses at UM, but has been away from basketball activities since the incident.
UM did not return a comment request from The Tennessee Star asking whether Williams would be reinstated to the basketball program.
Memphis has been plagued by crime for years, but has garnered national attention in past weeks.
State Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) joined “Fox & Friends First” on Friday morning and said that crime in the city is “out of control,” referencing several recent criminal events.
“It’s really bad here, Todd,” State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) told Fox News’ Todd Piro. “The crime is really out of control here in Memphis. Matter of fact, just last week I sent a letter to the governor asking him to send in additional state troopers to Shelby County. Just in a weekend, Todd, we had 21 shootings, five murders, four smash-and-grabs, we had a FedEx truck stopped in traffic by a group of people that then opened up the back of the truck and looted the back of the FedEx truck.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Mikey Williams” by Mikey Williams.
As a 70 yr old White guy with no priors, I would have been thrown under the jail for life.
But, it’s hoops, yo!
Mikey needs to ceasefire and be more proportional.
He admitted to doing it and for that he gets a free pass? The lesson learned is an important one. Not allowing him to play basket ball in college might seem harsh, more likely it would teach him that trying to kill people is simply wrong.