Police arrested P.J. Williams today and charged the former Florida State cornerback with one count of driving under the influence. Williams has declared for the upcoming NFL draft and, until today’s news, expected to be selected in an early round. You might also remember him from his starring role in an extensive New York Times piece on the lax treatment FSU players get from Tallahassee police; Williams got a break in another crash when his car turned across oncoming traffic, caused a collision, then Williams and his passengers ran away on foot—and all Williams got was two tickets.


Today’s arrest, done not by TPD but by the separate campus police, was triggered after an officer saw a Chevrolet SUV at 3 a.m. having trouble making a turn, followed by making a left on Dewey Street “even though there is a clearly posted No Left Turn sign,” according to the arrest affidavit. The officer followed the SUV and saw it drift over the lane divider four times.


The officer pulled over the SUV which struck a curb while pulling into a parking lot, according to the affidavit. The driver was Williams—whose full name is Kenneth Williams Jr.—and he said he was coming from the bar Recess. The officer wrote that Williams had “red, watery eyes,” along with slurred speech; the “strong odor of alcoholic beverage” was coming from the vehicle. Outside the SUV, Williams swayed and smelled of alcohol, according to the affidavit. Just like in the crash investigated by the Times, he was driving with a suspended license.

He refused to do a field sobriety test or take a Breathalyzer, while also pointing out to the officer that he had played for Florida State.

I explained to Williams that I would have to make my decision about his impairment based on what I had seen so far, and that a refusal could be used against him in court. Williams stated that he played football for FSU and just wanted to go home.

The officer took Williams to jail, where he saw Williams sway and fall during the process of taking off his shoes and putting them back on, the affidavit said. He was given a criminal citation for DUI and a moving citation for violation of a traffic control device (for when he drifted over the divider).

The full arrest affidavit is below.

Image via Associated Press