Fairfield (NJ) The Fairfield Police Department announces the arrest of Deshawn Williams (23) of Florence, South Carolina on a variety of weapon charges on June 19, 2021. On that date, at approximately 2:09 AM, Fairfield officers were dispatched to the McDonalds located at 450 Route 46 East on a report of shots being fired at that location. The initial caller stated that a African American male exited his vehicle while at the drive thru, presented a firearm and shot the firearm into the bushes. The caller immediately drove off and called 9-1-1. The only description provided was a black male operating a white vehicle with an unknown registration that was not from New Jersey. Responding officers found no such vehicle at the McDonalds.
Around that same time, PO Kevin Chen located a silver vehicle with Georgia license plates and being operated by a African American male driver, near the WAWA located at the intersection of Little Falls Road and Passaic Avenue where he initiated a motor vehicle stop assisted by Corporal Steven D’Argenio and PO James Ciampi. The driver was identified as Williams. There were two other female passengers in the vehicle, which was found to be a 2021 silver Nissan Altima. The vehicle and its occupants were then all brought to police headquarters for further investigation.
This investigation ultimately revealed that someone allegedly was throwing eggs at Williams’ vehicle, at which time, he got out of his vehicle, presented a firearm, and fired one shot into the air attempting to scare off whoever was throwing eggs at his vehicle. A later search of Williams’ vehicle allegedly led to the recovery of a loaded Glock 34 9 mm handgun. It is further alleged that the gun appeared to have been recently fired and apparently jammed as the spent shell casing was still in the chamber. A total of (11) rounds were found inside of the handgun’s 17-round magazine. At present, the handgun did not come back as stolen.
Williams was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of prohibited weapons & devices. Williams was transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, NJ pending an initial hearing in the Superior Court. The other occupants of the car were released without any charges. The case is still under investigation and, depending on the outcome, Williams may be subjected to other charges.
(It should be noted that the charges against Williams are merely allegations and that he is presumed innocent until he either pleads guilty or is found guilty in a court of law)
Authorized by: Chief Anthony Manna
