Second-degree murder was allegedly committed by an inmate on the day after he was released from the Hillsborough County Jail in Florida — as part of an effort to slow the spread of 2019 Novel Coronavirus — and he has now returned to jail after being arrested for the incident.
Murder Allegedly Committed by Inmate Released Early Because of 2019 Novel Coronavirus
“The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Joseph Edward Williams, 26, for a homicide that occurred on the 8000 block of Ash Avenue in Tampa on March 20”, according to this official news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. “Williams is facing a second-degree murder charge along with resisting an officer with violence, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was previously convicted of two felony offenses including burglary of an unoccupied conveyance in 2012 and felon in possession of a firearm in 2018, in addition to five misdemeanor convictions. Throughout the course of his criminal history, Williams has been arrested for 35 charges in total.”
An increasing number of jurisdictions throughout the United States are issuing orders to release inmates of jails, detention facilities, and prisons early in an effort to lower the risk of the spread of 2019 Novel Coronavirus within those facilities — as well as to protect the inmates, deputies, and members of the civilian staff who work within those facilities.
After being arrested on Friday, March 13, 2020 for possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, Williams was one of 164 inmates who were released from custody until trial on Thursday, March 19, 2020 following the issuance of Administrative Order 2020-018 in Hillsborough County, in which the city of Tampa is located.
An official statement was issued by Chad Chronister, who is the current sheriff of Hillsborough County:
“There is no question Joseph Williams took advantage of this health emergency to commit crimes while he was out of jail awaiting resolution of a low-level, non-violent offense. As a result, I call on the State Attorney to prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law. Every murder, every violent crime, especially those involving a gun, is a sickening example of the worst in our community, especially at a time when our community is working relentlessly to fight against the spread of this deadly COVID-19.
“Judges, prosecutors, and Sheriffs around the country are facing difficult decisions during this health crisis with respect to balancing public health and public safety. Sheriffs in Florida and throughout our country have released non-violent, low-level offenders to protect our deputies and the jail population from an outbreak.
“Our commitment as an agency is to keep this community safe and enforce the law.”
Summary
That Williams was released early due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is appalling at best — especially with his extensive criminal record.
Is this what we have come to: releasing questionably dangerous inmates out into the public early as an attempt to reduce the number of deaths caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus? How do we know that they are not carrying the 2019 Novel Coronavirus? Have then been fully tested for it before being released from incarceration?
This is yet another example of the inanely insane decisions resulting from the vast overreaction to this pandemic, whose costs — in terms of tens of thousands of lives, the decimation of entire industries such as travel, and the halt of the economy in general as three of many examples — are steeply mounting…
…and I am willing to bet that this is not the only murder which has occurred in the United States due to the early release of incarcerated inmates of jails and prisons — but instead of relying on the media, the information in this article comes from the actual source.
Source: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
