MSU RB Delton Williams jailed, suspended

EAST LANSING – Michigan State running back Delton Williams has been charged with brandishing a firearm in public and suspended indefinitely from team-related activities by football coach Mark Dantonio following a road-rage incident Monday night.

The charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine. Williams, 21, of Erie, Pa., was placed in custody in Ingham County Jail in Mason at 11:50 p.m. Monday, according to a jail deputy.

Williams pleaded not guilty to the charge today before East Lansing 54-B District Court Judge Richard Ball and a pretrial date was set for 9 a.m. April 15.

Williams was involved in an incident at about 7:30 p.m. Monday on Farm Lane and Red Cedar Road on the MSU campus, MSU Police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.

McGlothian-Taylor said Williams cut in front of another driver, who honked, and that Williams then "displayed a weapon" but did not point it at the other driver. He was later brought in by police. According to court records, he has a concealed weapons permit. With such a permit, a handgun can be within reach of or on its owner. Without one, any handgun would have needed to be secured in the trunk or an area out of the reach of the driver.

Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III had no comment on the case.

Williams was charged with misdemeanor drug possession in 2012 in Pennsylvania but the charge was dropped a month later.

Williams, who will be a junior next season, rushed for 316 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014. He is among several players expected to compete for the starting job vacated by Jeremy Langford. MSU's other running backs contending for playing time include true freshman LJ Scott, redshirt freshman Madre London and sophomore Gerald Holmes. Holmes had 15 carries for 44 yards last season.

Williams is the second MSU football player to be arrested in less than three weeks. Wide receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. was arrested Feb. 28 after he kicked a parking enforcement vehicle, according to East Lansing police. He has been charged with drunken and disorderly conduct and obstructing, resisting, hindering or assaulting a police officer. Both are misdemeanors punishable by up to 93 days in jail and $500 in fines. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Thursday in East Lansing District Court 54-B.

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe.

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