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Mayor In North Carolina Arrested On DWI And Gun Charges Less Than An Hour After Winning Election
"Nobody is above the law," Sharpsburg Police Chief John Hunt said.
Here's how not to celebrate a victory.
A newly-elected North Carolina mayor was arrested Tuesday on drunk-driving and gun charges barely an hour after narrowly winning the vote.
Robert Williams Jr., mayor-elect of Sharpsburg, was booked on charges of DWI, failure to maintain lane control and resisting arrest, as well as three charges related to possession of a firearm.
A concerned citizen called police after Williams almost crashed near Town Hall, according to WNCN-TV in Raleigh. When police started driving behind him, they said, Williams ran off to the right side of the road.
Sharpsburg Police Chief John Hunt told WRAL-TV in Raleigh that Williams' white Dodge pickup truck was weaving all over the road. He said the cop who pulled Williams over smelled alcohol, and asked Williams to get out of the vehicle. During that interaction, Williams allegedly resisted.
"There was a struggle at that point," Hunt said. "He sort of struggled a little bit."
Williams must be held accountable, Hunt said, even if he'll be the mayor.
"I made a promise to the people that we'll keep our street clear of DWIs and other traffic violations," Hunt told WRAL-TV. "Nobody is above the law."
Police said Williams told them he had just been elected mayor of the town, according to WNCN. His BAC was .13, police said, and he bonded out of jail with an order to appear on June 5.
Williams had been fighting for a new election for six months, since he lost the last one by just three votes, according to the News & Observer in Raleigh. He complained that dozens of voters had been turned away in a majority-black precinct because only 12 ballots were printed. A rematch was ordered, and Williams defeated incumbent Randy Weaver by just seven votes.
The News & Observer reached Williams at home on Wednesday after he was released from the Nash County Detention Center. Williams referred calls to his lawyer and hung up the phone. When the newspaper called back, Williams didn't provide his lawyer's name.
[Photo: Nash County Sheriff's Office]
