Man found guilty of assaulting deputy
An Orange County man whom sheriff’s deputies chased and shot at multiple times in December 2021 after accusations of assaulting a pregnant woman and attempting to kill his brother was convicted Wednesday by a jury on two charges.
Avery Williams, 39, was arrested and jailed on charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery on a pregnant person, but prosecutors did not pursue those charges. The State Attorney’s Office did charge him with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after deputies chased him at the scene of the incident and accused Williams of attempting to shoot deputies.
He was found guilty on both counts of aggravated assault Wednesday after a three-day trial, according to a news release from the Office of Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain. Court records show Williams pleaded no contest to the firearm possession charge.
The State Attorney’s Office said Williams was observed on deputies’ body-camera footage turning around and pointing a firearm at two deputies.
“It was revealed in court that the firearm had malfunctioned at that time,” Bain’s office said in a news release.
On the night of the incident, an arrest affidavit stated that deputies shot at Williams multiple times after he fled from officers. A resulting chase led a deputy to Williams, who was hiding in bushes, according to the affidavit.
The deputy ordered Williams to show his hands and drop a firearm he had. The State Attorney’s Office said Williams raised his hand to fire and was shot several times by the deputy.
“He will no longer be able to wreak havoc thanks to the work of OCSO, and the prosecutors who recognized that anything less than a guilty verdict would only subject our residents and law enforcement to further danger,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in the statement. “Hopefully, this verdict turns a page on letting violent criminals off the hook and serves to put other offenders on notice that this community will stand together to ensure they are taken off our streets.”
A sentencing hearing for Williams is scheduled for Nov. 16.
“We put this case in the hands of the jury, who agree that violent criminals, who threaten the lives of law enforcement have no place in our community,” Bain said. “We remain committed to our resolve that violent offenders must be dealt with properly.”