Missouri DE Tre Williams arrested on suspicion of domestic assault

With the announcement of Missouri’s placement in the Liberty Bowl, the commitment of Kelly Bryant and the contract extension for head coach Barry Odom, last week started out with some pretty great news for the Tigers.

This week... not so much.

Tre Williams, the redshirt sophomore defensive end and Columbia product, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree domestic assault.

Here’s what Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had to say in his report:

Williams, 21, was arrested after a verbal argument turned physical early Sunday morning, Columbia Police Department spokesman Jeff Pitts said. Around 1:45 a.m., officers responded to a report of a physical altercation in the 3900 block of South Providence. The alleged victim reported that there was a verbal argument with Williams while the victim was driving. Williams became physically aggressive with the alleged victim in the vehicle. Officers observed physical evidence that supported the claim that the victim gave.

Matter also said that Williams had an “intimate relationship” with the alleged victim, and he was booked around 7 a.m. Sunday morning before being released around 8:30 a.m. on a $4,500 bond.

Obviously, this is not the news Missouri wants or needs to hear at this point in the season. The Tigers are in the midst of preparing for a Liberty Bowl matchup with former Big 12 foe Oklahoma State, and Williams was expected to be in the defensive end rotation after a strong second season.

Second-degree domestic assault is considered a Class D felony. The MU student-athlete handbook says that any athlete arrested for a felony will be suspended indefinitely from team activities, and any athlete found guilty of a felony charge or who pleads guilty to a felony charge will be barred permanently from participating in athletics at the school.

This means there is a very strong possibility the Tigers will move on to the New Year’s Eve game without Williams.

Odom said in a statement released Monday that he was made aware of the situation and has suspended Williams indefinitely from all team activities. He also stated he would provide updates if Williams’ status changes, so we will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.