Joseph Williams
Introduction
Joseph Williams — a 33-year-old former San Francisco 49ers running back — was arrested in West Hollywood, California on October 28, 2026, after sheriff’s deputies say he refused to surrender during a traffic stop and led them on a foot chase through the streets before being caught. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Williams, already wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for receiving stolen property, was booked on suspicion of that offense plus resisting or obstructing an officer, vandalism, trespassing and violating the terms of probation or supervised release, with bail set at $50,000 and a court appearance scheduled for November 2.
Background Information
Williams was born September 4, 1993, and played college football at the University of Utah after starting at UConn in 2012 and transferring through ASA College in New York. At Utah he set the school’s all-time single-game rushing record with 332 yards against UCLA on October 22, 2016, ran for 1,407 yards and ten touchdowns in nine games that season, and was named Offensive MVP of the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl after rushing for 222 yards against Indiana. The 49ers selected him in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he appeared in 19 games over two seasons before the team cut him in 2018 following injuries and, per ESPN’s account, “a lack of production.”
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Arrested on an outstanding felony warrant; no plea entered. Deputies discovered a felony warrant for receiving stolen property after letting Williams go from a speeding stop, then caught him on foot when he fled a second stop. He was booked on five suspicion counts and held on $50,000 bail; no plea, court appearance or attorney retention had been reported, and the charges remain allegations only.
Per the Sheriff’s Department account, deputies first encountered Williams around 4 p.m. on October 28 near the intersection of La Brea and Fountain avenues during a possible speeding stop. He was released with a verbal warning — but when deputies ran his information they discovered the outstanding felony warrant for receiving stolen property, and moved to stop him a second time.
Rather than surrender, the former college record-setting running back allegedly took off on foot, and deputies chased him through West Hollywood before catching up with him on Formosa Avenue near Romaine Street. He was booked at the LASD West Hollywood Station on suspicion of receiving stolen property, resisting or obstructing an officer, vandalism, trespassing and violating the terms of probation or supervised release; the LASD inmate information page recorded him under the full name Joseph Sterling Williams on a felony warrant, with bail set at $50,000 and an appearance scheduled November 2 at the LAX Superior Courthouse.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The arrest drew local coverage within a day — NBC Los Angeles and Hoodline carried the sheriff’s department account on October 29 — before the New York Post’s October 31 story spread it nationally under the headline “Ex-49ers player leads cops on wild West Hollywood chase after traffic stop,” framing the irony of a former running back being run down on foot. The felony warrant — receiving stolen property — and the probation-violation count indicated legal trouble well after his football career ended, which none of the coverage connected to his playing days. Williams made no public statement, and Hoodline reported that no sheriff’s department release or independent report detailed whether he had entered a plea, appeared in court or retained an attorney, leaving those details unclear.
Current Status
Williams, 33, remained in custody on the felony warrant with bail set at $50,000 as of the days following his arrest, pending a scheduled November 2 appearance at the LAX Superior Courthouse. He has been booked on suspicion of five offenses — receiving stolen property, resisting or obstructing an officer, vandalism, trespassing and violating probation or supervised release terms — none of which has produced a charge filing, conviction or plea in the reporting reviewed for this page, and deputies were still working their case as coverage continued.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Williams’ football résumé — a Utah single-game rushing record, a bowl-game MVP award and a fourth-round draft pick — had already faded when the 49ers waived him in August 2018, and the arrest attached a new and darker line to his public record: a felony warrant, a foot chase and a $50,000 bail hold. The probation-related count in his booking sheet suggests a supervised-release history that postdates his NFL years, and the November 2 court date will determine whether the allegations become formal charges. For now, the running back who once set Utah’s single-game record is better known for the run deputies say they ended on Formosa Avenue.
Sources
- NY Post, “Former NFL player Joseph Williams arrested in West Hollywood,” Oct 31, 2026 — source
- Hoodline, “Ex-49ers RB Joe Williams Arrested in West Hollywood Chase,” Oct 29, 2026 — source
- NBC Los Angeles, “Ex-NFL player arrested after allegedly fleeing in West Hollywood,” Oct 29, 2026 — source
- San Francisco News, “Former 49er, Joseph Williams Arrested On Felony Warrant,” Oct 30, 2026 — source
- Wikipedia, “Joe Williams (running back, born 1993),” accessed Oct 31, 2026 — source
- @nypost trigger tweet, Oct 31, 2026 — source