Published Sep 29, 2016
Alabama linebacker Tim Williams arrested
Aaron Suttles  •  TideIllustrated
Beat Writer

University of Alabama standout senior linebacker Tim Williams was arrested by UAPD Thursday morning and charged with carrying a pistol without a permit.

Williams was booked into jail at 2:09 a.m. and released on a $300 bond.

According to court records, UAPD officers approached Williams' Chevrolet Impala in the parking lot at Publix on University Blvd. UAPD smelled marijuana and upon search of the vehicle found a clear plastic bag containing marijuana in the center console, according to court records, and a Glock 41 pistol under the driver’s seat.

Williams was in the passenger's seat and another man was in the driver's seat. The driver told officers that the marijuana was his, and that he was holding it for a friend named “Brandon Chicken.”

Williams told police that the gun was his and that he'd purchased in from a gun store in Louisiana nearly a month ago. The gun store gave him a temporary permit for the gun, he said, but he didn’t have it in his possession. Williams produced the receipt for the gun to show officers, saying that he thought it would qualify for a pistol permit.

UAPD told Williams that a valid permit was needed to carry a concealed firearm. Williams was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed firearm.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban released the following statement Thursday afternoon. “This kind of behavior is not condoned in our program. We are currently in the process of reviewing all of the information. Once we have a complete understanding of the situation, we will determine what we need to do in terms of the appropriate discipline.”

Williams had a breakout season in 2015 with 10.5 sacks. He has six tackles and 1.5 sacks in four games this season.

Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.

Stephanie Taylor contributed to this report.