Coronavirus: Florida inmate released from jail, accused in next-day murder

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida man released from jail March 19 in an effort slow the spread of the novel coronavirus has found his discharge short-lived.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph Edwards Williams, 26, was arrested Monday night in Gibsonton, Florida, on suspicion of involvement with a March 20 shooting homicide in the Progress Village area, WFLA reported.

The sheriff’s office told the TV station Williams was one of 164 inmates released from custody, pending their respective trials, and online jail records confirm he was released from Hillsborough custody at 8:02 a.m. on Thursday, March. The order, issued by a state judge, authorized the local sheriff to “release any pretrial detainee arrested for a municipal or county ordinance violation, a misdemeanor offense, a criminal traffic offense, or a third-degree felony offense.”

According to NBC News, Williams had been released six days after being arrested on suspicion of heroin possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. He, now, faces charges of second-degree murder, gun possession, violently resisting an officer, drug possession and paraphernalia possession.

“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,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “As a result, I call on the State Attorney to prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”

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