Ohio Police Officer Indicted for Assaulting an Arrestee and Obstructing Justice

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

A federal grand jury today unsealed an indictment charging El'Shawn Williams, an officer in the
Put-in-Bay Police Department, with using excessive force against a man in custody, and then making
false statements and writing false reports to cover it up. The indictment alleges that Williams,
28, punched and struck the victim multiple times in the head and body, causing him bodily
injury.  

The indictment was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division
John Gore, United States Attorney Justin Herdman of the Northern District of Ohio, and Special
Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI's Cleveland Division.

The indictment alleges that after the incident, Williams wrote a report that falsely minimized the
force he used and failed to disclose that he struck the victim after the victim was restrained by
another officer. It also alleges that Williams gave a false statement to an Ottawa County
detective denying that he punched the victim, denying that he struck him in the face, and denying
that he struck him after the victim was restrained by another officer.

If convicted, Williams faces a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment for the excessive force
charge and up to 20 years imprisonment for each obstruction charge. An indictment is merely an
accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case was investigated jointly by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation
and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department.   It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Michael Freeman of the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the
Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.       

