A Florida man who was recently released from jail over crowding concerns during the coronavirus outbreak has been arrested and charged with murder, USA Today reports.
Joseph Edward Williams, 26, was initially arrested on various drug charges, one of which was possession of heroin, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. He was released last month along with 100 other inmates in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in prisons. He has since been accused of shooting an unidentified man the day after his release, and charged with second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer with violence.
Williams previously has been convicted of two felonies, once for burglary in 2012 and once for possessing a firearm as a felon in 2018. The sheriff’s office also notes that Williams has been arrested for 35 charges in total throughout his life.
“Judges, prosecutors, and sheriffs around the country are facing difficult decisions during this health crisis with respect to balancing public health and public safety,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Sheriffs in Florida and throughout our country have released non-violent, low-level offenders to protect our deputies and the jail population from an outbreak.”
The Tampa Bay Times notes that of the 164 county jail inmates released, this is the only case where one has been arrested for a new crime.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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