Mikey Williams, a 2023 four-star basketball recruit committed to play at Memphis next season, was arrested Thursday night (April 13) in connection with an altercation that occurred in his hometown of San Diego on March 27.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the incident stemmed from a verbal argument about guests being asked to leave a house in the Jamul area of San Diego. Five people, including three minors, then got into a car and were driving away when shots were fired at the vehicle. The car was hit, the department said, but nobody inside was hurt.
Williams, 18, was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of five counts of assault with a deadly weapon while a search warrant was issued for the house. He is accused of violating California penal code Chapter 9, Section 245(a)(2), which involves “any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a firearm” and carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
Officials said that Williams had one firearm in his possession at the time of his arrest. He was released from jail just after midnight on Friday on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on April 20.
Memphis basketball commit Mikey Williams was arrested Thursday on five charges of assault with a deadly weapon, per Jackson Brown of ABC 24 Memphis. pic.twitter.com/wTALraCk8z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 14, 2023
The No. 17 recruit in the 2023 class according to 247Sports, Williams rose to prominence with his flashy highlight videos early in his high school career, which helped him amass nearly 4 million Instagram followers and become the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company when he reached a multiyear endorsement deal with Puma. The 6-foot-2 guard committed to Memphis in November, becoming the top recruit in head coach Penny Hardaway’s 2023 class. As of Friday afternoon, Williams’ Instagram account has been deactivated.
In a statement, Memphis said they are “aware of the situation and are gathering more information.” The school has had troubles with freshman players in the past, as current Pistons center James Wiseman only played in three games for the Tigers due to Hardaway paying for Wiseman and his family to move to Memphis a year before he committed.
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