Quinnen Williams’ legal counsel is confident his handgun incident at LaGuardia Airport earlier this week will be resolved sooner rather than later.
Williams was arrested on Thursday night for carrying a Glock 19 handgun without a New York license in his check-in bag. The gun, registered in his home state of Alabama, was unloaded and Williams was not in possession of any ammunition.
On Friday, Williams’ attorney issued a statement regarding the incident and a possible timeout for its resolution.
“Mr. Williams respects and follows the law,” Alex Spiro said. “There was allegedly a technical issue with the manner in which the lawfully owned firearm was stored — and we expect the matter to be resolved shortly.”
According to reports citing Port Authority officials, Williams had the gun in his bag when he arrived at the Delta Airlines check-in counter. When the Delta employee responsible for Williams’ found out about the gun, a license check was made with the Port Authority police. Since Williams’ permit was valid in Alabama, but not New York, he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
The 21-year-old was processed, released and is scheduled for arraignment in Queens County Criminal Court on March 25, when he is to be formally charged.
The Jets also responded to Williams’ arrest on Friday, stating “We have been in contact with Quinnen Williams and are fully aware of the situation. We will have no additional comment as this is a pending legal manner.”
New York selected Williams third overall out of Alabama in the 2019 NFL draft, making him the highest-drafted defensive player in franchise history. The defensive lineman’s rookie season wound up being somewhat of a disappointment, though, as he battled injuries and stretches of inconsistent play throughout 2019. In 13 games, Williams recorded only 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Williams is subject to punishment under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
