Breaking News
The youth football coach who smacked a 9-year-old player TWICE will be hit with child abuse charges, prosecutors announced.
“The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office along with our local state attorney’s office have reviewed this case and the decision has been made that charges for child abuse will be filed, regardless of parent’s decision not to press charges,” Maj. Jacob Ruiz said.
“The actions of this person are despicable and there is zero-tolerance when it comes to the abuse of a child.”
As we first reported, law enforcement already launched a child abuse investigation into Gerrell Williams over the Dec. 7 incident that took place at a youth football event in Kissimmee, Florida.
During the course of the investigation, officers spoke with the victim’s mother who said she did NOT want to move forward with criminal charges against Williams.
It can be tough for prosecutors to get a conviction without a cooperating victim — but in this case, officials feel the video and witnesses will be enough to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Williams was fired from his job as a counselor at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office detention center as a result of his actions in the video.
He later issued a video apology — in which he admits to smacking the child and says, “I’m gonna apologize for my actions.”
The video was widely condemned by some of the country’s top athletes including Lebron James, Bruce Smith, Shannon Sharpe and more.