Syracuse, NY -- A 22-year-old Syracuse man was in the Onondaga County Justice Center jail Monday after a hand-to-hand fight with a Syracuse police officer over a loaded gun. Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Officer Matthew LaLonde responded to a 911 call from Hatch Street. The caller said a man had pointed a gun at him during an argument, according...
Hikeme WilliamsSyracuse, NY -- A 22-year-old Syracuse man was in the Onondaga County Justice Center jail Monday after a hand-to-hand fight with a Syracuse police officer over a loaded gun.
Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Officer Matthew LaLonde responded to a 911 call from Hatch Street. The caller said a man had pointed a gun at him during an argument, according to Sgt. Tom Connellan. As LaLonde pulled up, he saw Hikeme Williams with his right hand in the waistband of his pants.
LaLonde took his own gun out of its holster and ordered Williams to show his hand and lie down on the ground. Williams ignored him multiple times, then ran behind the house. LaLonde put his gun back in the holster and chased Williams, tackling him, Connellan said.
The two struggled. Williams began to kick the officer, then pulled a handgun from the waist of his pants and pointed it at LaLonde. LaLonde reached out with both hands and grabbed the gun. The two men struggled, and LaLonde tried to keep the gun’s muzzle pointed away from his body, Connellan said. LaLonde finally pulled Williams’ gun from his hands before the two men struggled again as Williams tried to run away.
The gun was about 5 feet from where the two men fought. LaLonde tackled Williams, again, as Officer Alvin Herrington arrived on the scene. The two officers were able to get Williams under control and handcuff him.
Williams, of 206 W. Borden St., was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, menacing a police officer, second-degree menacing and resisting arrest, Connellan said.
“The officer did a fantastic job,” Connellan said. “He defused was could have been a deadly situation.”