Four years later, he was elected to the Missouri Senate as a Democrat representing his hometown district.
Williams, now 37, recalls times of being pulled over for “just driving while black.”
“I was handcuffed on the sidewalk, and my constitutional rights were violated,” he said. “That was business as usual growing up in Ferguson, in North County.”
His experiences, Williams said, aren’t unique.
“That’s what motivates me today to not only fight for police accountability,” he said, “but also make sure we build trust and ultimately provide an opportunity to have good officers and eliminate the bad ones.”
While Missouri activists have led the national call for “re-envisioning public safety” since 2014, the state has not led in passing legislation or policies that would address police misconduct.