University student Joshua Ryan Williams said he will file a lawsuit alleging police misconduct by the Eugene Police Department and will contest in court today a long list of charges, stemming from an alcohol-related citation given to the 20-year-old early Sunday morning.
Williams said he was severely beaten by EPD officers because he mouthed off to an officer after receiving a citation for minor in possession of alcohol. EPD spokeswoman Pam Olshanski said Williams was belligerent and resistant, and added that the department takes all allegations very seriously.
“Obviously, any time an allegation is made, it’s alarming and concerning,” Olshanski said. “But no allegation has been made (to the department).”
Williams was stopped early Sunday morning when an officer spotted him carrying what is commonly referred to as a “keg cup.” At 1:15 a.m., Williams received an MIP citation from EPD Sgt. Randy Smith near the intersection of East 14th Avenue and Mill Street.
“I admitted to having possession of alcohol,” Williams said. “He asked me for an ID (and I) gave it to him. And while he was writing me up, I was asking him, you know, if he could cut me some slack: ‘I’m going to be 21 in a week and a half, and I can’t afford a $250 fine.’
“At that point, he said, ‘No, it’s too late.’ Then I told him I hoped he thought he was serving and protecting the community … which I think got under his skin.”
According to Williams and Olshanski, Williams was then allowed to leave. Williams said he walked on the sidewalk for a few blocks when a police car pulled beside him.
Olshanski said Williams continued to talk back to officers after receiving the MIP citation and was walking in the middle of the street. At least one car had to swerve to miss Williams, Olshanski said, and the student allegedly flipped off and cursed at the driver of the vehicle. After witnessing those events, Olshanski added, officers felt compelled to again speak with Williams. Olshanski said that as officers approached Williams, the University student proceeded to run.
When told of the contents of the police report, Williams said, “Oh my god, oh my god,” reiterating an earlier statement questioning the authenticity of what the police would say happened.
“The power they have scares me as far as the police reports and what they can write and claim as fact,” said Williams, a business major in his third year at the University. “That’s the only thing that would allow them to get away with something like this.”
Both Williams and Olshanski said officers told the student he was under arrest. Williams — who said he was convicted in 2001 of resisting arrest as part of a plea bargain — said the force used when arresting him was “absolutely not” necessary.
“(The officer) probably knew that if he used excessive force from the very beginning to get me down that I would probably resist because I’m sure he saw that I had these previous charges,” Williams said.
Olshanski maintained the need for force.
“I can’t speak to this specifically, but when an officer is being assaulted, all actions necessary will be taken,” she said.
The three officers who stopped and restrained Williams also put out a “code three cover” call, asking for any and all nearby support because they feared for their safety, Olshanski added.
Some time between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m., Lane Community College student John Duley said he was woken by noise coming from outside his house.
“At the beginning, (Williams) was like, ‘I’m not resisting anything,’” said Duley, who lives at East 13th Avenue and Mill Street. “Then I heard screaming.”
Duley said he saw a female officer repeatedly strike Williams with a nightstick while two officers struggled with Williams. The incident lasted about 20 minutes, and about 10 officers came to the scene, Duley said.
Duley said Williams was struggling and added that he thought the struggling was a
result of the officers’ attempts to restrain Williams.
“In my opinion, from my view, it didn’t look like the police needed to go to these measures to restrain this guy,” Duley said.
Williams fought when he was told he was under arrest, Olshanski said, and he kicked one officer in the arm numerous times while struggling. “Focused blows” were issued by the three responding officers to restrain Williams, Olshanski added.
“All he had to do was stop resisting, and he clearly understood the direction being given to him,” Olshanski said.
Williams’ sister, Erin, said she received multiple phone calls from her brother after he was taken into custody. She didn’t see him until Sunday afternoon, however, when she took multiple photos of her brother’s injuries.
“His face was swollen, he had a gouge on his right side … his whole jaw looked swollen,” said Erin Williams, a University senior.
Joshua Williams, who said he visited the University Health Center about his injuries, added that he can’t sit up for more than five minutes without being in pain.
“I’m lucky that I didn’t come out with a broken bone, a broken jaw, because I got kicked in the face and suffered a concussion,” he said.
Olshanski also said Joshua Williams is fortunate his injuries are limited, given that he put himself at risk by being so combative with officers.
Erin Williams said that despite her brother’s previous and similar trouble with the law, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She added that she believes her brother’s account of the incident.
“He’s not the type of guy that would go out there and make something like this up,”
she said.
Olshanski said Joshua Williams was cited for MIP, interfering with police, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault of a public safety officer.
He will be arraigned in Lane County Circuit Court today for the latter of the three charges and will be in Eugene Municipal Court on March 10 for the MIP citation. He could be charged for the interfering with police citation at a later time.
Joshua Williams said he will plead not guilty to all charges.