Affidavit: KU football player Pooka Williams allegedly punched a woman in the stomach in domestic battery incident

By Dylan Lysen     Dec 20, 2018

Mike Gunnoe
Kansas running back Pooka Williams Jr. jumps over a teammate to gain more yards against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018.

University of Kansas football player Pooka Williams allegedly punched a woman in the stomach in an incident that led to his arrest on suspicion of domestic battery earlier this month, according to a Douglas County District Court affidavit obtained by the Journal-World on Thursday.

On Dec. 6, the victim in the case told a KU police officer that Williams, whose full name is Anthony Ray Williams, punched her in the stomach and grabbed her throat around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 5 when they were at Stouffer Place Apartments, 1835 Ousdahl Road.

During the interview, the officer found the victim had bruises on her arms and side, according to the affidavit. She also showed the officer text messages from Williams admitting to punching her in the arms.

The officer interviewed Williams, who reportedly said that he pushed the woman when he saw her in a room with other men at the apartment building. Both Williams and the victim said they were in an intimate relationship.

KU police arrested Williams at the KU Public Safety Office, 1501 Crestline Drive, and he was booked into jail at 3 p.m. Dec. 6.

Williams spent the night in jail and made his first court appearance Dec. 7 in Douglas County District Court. He was formally charged with domestic battery, a misdemeanor.

His attorney, Hatem B. Chahine, entered a not guilty plea on Williams’ behalf. A prosecutor said Williams did not have prior criminal history.

Judge James T. George set a $1,000 bond for Williams and ordered him to not make contact with the victim or return to her residence. George scheduled Williams’ next appearance for 9 a.m. Jan. 9.

KU football coach Les Miles said on Dec. 7 that he was aware of a reported incident involving Williams.

“We are taking these allegations very seriously,” Miles said. “We have suspended Pooka from all team-related activities pending further investigation.”

Williams is a freshman running back from New Orleans who arguably became the face of the team during the 2018 season, winning several weekly and seasonlong awards for his performance on the field.


Editor’s note: This story has been edited to correct a time that had been misstated by police in their arrest affidavit. The incident at Stouffer Place Apartments occured at 12:30 a.m. Dec. 5, 2018, according to Cheryl Wright Kunard, assistant to Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson.

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52915Affidavit: KU football player Pooka Williams allegedly punched a woman in the stomach in domestic battery incident