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Man convicted of shooting at Corinth officers gets probation
A jury recommended a probated sentence Friday for Charles Williams Jr. after the jurors found him guilty of aggravated assault in a shootout with three Corinth police officers in 2021.
The jury deliberated on the sentence for about two and a half hours before deciding on probation. If Williams violates the conditions of his probation, the jury recommended he be sentenced to 10 years in prison. This was the maximum number of years the jury could give in the probated sentence.
Although he received a probated sentence, Williams is still a convicted felon and will not be permitted to own a firearm for the rest of his life.
Upon the verdict, Judge Lee Gabriel released Williams from county jail custody and ordered he remain out under his pretrial bond conditions. Gabriel said the court tentatively plans to hold a hearing next week to discuss Williams’ probation.
Williams’ family had asked the jury for leniency, saying he has already been greatly punished mentally, physically and financially because of his actions on Feb. 2, 2021. They testified he would follow the conditions of probation to a T.
The victims of the aggravated assault, Corinth Officers Archippus Daily, Ashley Flack and Jennifer Allen, declined to comment on the jury’s sentencing verdict. Corinth Police Chief Jerry Garner provided the
Denton Record-Chronicle with the following comment via email:
“I learned long ago not to argue with a jury,” Garner wrote. “Nonetheless, I find it absolutely bizarre that an individual who fired repeatedly at police officers could anticipate such a light penalty. I truly hope and pray that Mr. Williams will make good use of the incredible gift he was given.”
To aid the jury in their sentencing deliberation, all three officers and members of Williams’ family gave statements Friday morning regarding the impact of the shooting on their lives.
The state and its witnesses had asked that Williams receive a confinement sentence for assaulting the officers. But Williams’ defense and family said the shooting was out of his character.
Shooting’s impact on the officers
The state called its witnesses first, with each of the three Corinth officers testifying. Daily, Flack and Allen all still work as officers, although Daily is the only one still with the Corinth department.
State prosecutor Lauren Marshall told the jury that in a world where news stories are filled with “bad police officers,” Daily, Flack and Allen “are the good ones.”
Though officers are meant to be prepared to potentially enter deadly situations, Flack said there’s “not enough training in the world” that mentally prepares you for a situation like the shooting.
Flack had two young children at the time who knew something changed after that day, she said. It’s not talked about much in her home, she said, but her children now understand she might die while working. Now, even if she has to rouse them from sleep, Flack said she always tells them she loves them before she goes to work because “we are not guaranteed to wake up tomorrow.”
What was particularly difficult after the shooting, Flack said, was the death threats she received afterward. Williams’ former defense counsel
released clips of the shooting captured by the home’s Ring camera. Flack said she received many comments online from people wishing Williams had killed the officers and “kill the white b---h.” She said she was worried to leave her house.
When the defense asked, Flack clarified Williams never contacted her directly or, to her knowledge, threatened her after the shooting.
Flack had asked that the jury sentence Williams to prison time because even though he does not have a prior criminal history, there still could be a next time.
Officer Allen said her father is a law enforcement officer. Because of that, she knew the job could be taxing. But she said one can’t know the toll the job takes until they do it themselves.
After the shooting, Allen said she tends to isolate herself from others because now she knows how quickly a loved one can be taken away. Allen’s closest family lives about five hours away. Her dad was the first person she called after the shooting.
Allen’s father has never been shot at in his career, she said. But he understands the job. She said her father is still the only person she talks to about the shooting.
“I don’t want to put my trauma on someone else,” Allen said.
Just wanting it to go away, Allen didn’t want to come to trial or testify. It’s “difficult to relive the events,” she said.
It was the hardest day Allen has had as an officer, she said. When asked why she still does it, Allen said she doesn’t want anyone else to have to take her place. She said she’d rather carry that responsibility.
Daily was the one to shoot Williams after the man fired at officers. Where Daily was positioned at the time Williams began shooting, Daily said he had nowhere to run to.
“Bullets don’t have a name on them,” Daily said. He testified he felt he had to stop a dangerous situation in which Williams could have harmed the officers or innocent civilians. Daily said his level of patience is still very high, but since the shooting, he’s hyper-aware of danger.
After the shooting, Daily said his mom was devastated and asked him to choose a different line of work. But Daily said this is his calling.
When asked why he still wants to be a police officer, Daily said it’s in his name. His legal name is Archippus Justice Daily. Additionally, his father is a pastor who instilled in him the importance of “trying to better the community,” something Daily said is at the core of his policing.
Defense attorney Spencer Robuck thanked the officers for their service.
Characterizing Williams
Although Williams opted to not testify during his sentencing, the defense called several of Williams’ siblings, his wife and his eldest son to speak to what his character is like outside of the shooting.
His family members described him as a devoted family man who is typically reserved and nonconfrontational. They said they wish Williams had made different decisions that night, but that one night should not define the sum of his character.
Four of Williams’ siblings have worked or still work in law enforcement. One sister is a former University of Texas officer and another is a former patrol officer who now works in youth outreach for the Dallas Police Department. One brother served five military tours and was in the military police, and another is currently a Dallas SWAT officer.
Each of his family members who testified said Williams has no prejudice against police officers. His SWAT officer brother said one of the main reasons Williams moved to Texas was to help financially support his career at the Dallas Police Department.
Williams’ defense said that although said “it’s not an excuse,” his actions on Feb. 2, 2021, could be explained by a ”perfect storm” of difficult circumstances. Williams was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time. His wife, Iris Washington, said he is still undergoing cancer treatment to this day.
State prosecutor Barrett Doran’s cross-examination of Williams’ sister suggested Williams has been battling cancer since sometime before or during the summer of 2020. But his sister testified she couldn’t remember he was diagnosed.
Williams’ eldest son said he still looks up to his father. He called him an exemplary father and grandfather to his 2-year-old grandson, whom the couple babysit regularly. Williams’ son said the jury decides the fate of whether his own son gets to spend time with his grandfather or only see him in a prison cell.
Coupled with the emotional strain of staying in the house, Williams’ son said his parents’ financial situation after the shooting meant they had no choice but to sell their home and move to Princeton, in eastern Collin County. The medical bills after both were shot and the lawyer fees strained their finances.
Washington met Williams when they were in high school and has been by his side for over 30 years. She said he has been nothing but a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Williams never so much as even raised his voice apart from the night of the shooting, she said. His actions that night were not an accurate reflection of who he has been for over 50 years, his wife said.
Suffering from physical and mental ailments after he was shot, Washington said her husband has already been punished. She said he can’t sleep and experiences constant chronic pain from the injuries he sustained in the shooting.
Williams’ father is also undergoing treatment for cancer, and his mother died from cancer in 2006. His wife said their younger son is battling paranoia and depression. Washington said his family needs Williams to be their protector and provider.
“If you take him from me, you basically kill me,” Washington said in tears. “We need him more than the state does.”
Court records indicate that Williams spent about 100 days in jail before he bonded out. The records indicate Williams never violated the conditions of his pretrial bond in the roughly two years between his release and his trial.
Williams’ family members testified that there is no reason the jury should worry that he would not strictly abide by the conditions of a probated sentence.
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