A year-long legal saga reached a major turning point Wednesday as 47-year-old Billy Wayne Williams formally admitted to shooting a Webbers Falls police officer during a roadside encounter that sparked a multi-state manhunt.
Appearing in federal court in Oklahoma, the Wister resident pleaded guilty to a slate of violent felonies stemming from the March 2025 shooting.
The incident began on March 16, 2025, during what should have been a routine traffic stop in Muskogee County. According to investigative reports, Williams pulled a firearm and shot the officer directly in the face before speeding away from the scene.
The shooting triggered an immediate “Blue Alert” across Oklahoma, as authorities warned the public that Williams was armed and dangerous. While the officer was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, they were later deemed non-life-threatening.
The search for Williams ended nearly 600 miles away in New Mexico. Early the following morning, police in Grants, New Mexico, received a “be on the lookout” notice for Williams’ vehicle. By 7:42 a.m. on March 17, automated traffic cameras flagged his license plate, allowing local officers to corner and arrest him shortly after in a Walmart parking lot.
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Because the shooting occurred within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, the case fell under federal jurisdiction.
Williams pleaded guilty to four specific counts: assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The legal consequences for these crimes are significant. The charge of assault with intent to commit murder alone carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Furthermore, the firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence he receives. Each of the four counts also carries a potential $250,000 fine.
The investigation was a massive collaborative effort involving the FBI, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and tribal authorities including the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted Williams’ plea on April 1 and ordered a presentence investigation report. Williams remains in custody pending a final sentencing hearing, which will be scheduled at a later date.
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