OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on November 20th, 2024, Austin J. Williams appeared for sentencing before the Honorable Laura J. Johnson. On August 7th, 2024, after a bench trial held on June 14th, 2024, Judge Johnson found Williams guilty of assault in the first degree of a special victim and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Williams was found not guilty on a separate charge of resisting arrest. Judge Johnson sentenced Williams to ten (10) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for assault in the first degree of a special victim and seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Judge Johnson ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
Williams was sentenced for his actions on May 19th, 2021, when the victim, a law enforcement officer, was dispatched to Williams’s residence to assist Children’s Division with an investigation of the family’s living conditions. Williams and his girlfriend, combative for most of the encounter, eventually agreed to allow other family members to take custody of their minor child after officers noted living conditions that included trash piled up around the house and the smell of what officers described as decomposing meat.
Upon arrival at the residence where the parties agreed the minor child could stay while Williams and his girlfriend cleaned up their house, Williams again became combative. The victim asked Williams to step outside into the garage to cool off, and Williams went outside. Inside, Williams’s girlfriend became argumentative and left officers no choice but to decide to take the minor child into protective custody.
Upon hearing this, Williams’s girlfriend yelled out to Williams, who came in from the garage and in one motion, charged and punched the victim in the face, breaking his nose. The minor child was in or near the path of Williams as he rushed the victim. Williams’s momentum caused both he and the victim to fall to the ground, where Williams continued to assault the victim, even locking his arm around the victim’s neck. It took another officer at the residence threatening Williams with a Taser to cause Williams to stop the assault. Afterward, Williams told the victim that he (Williams) hoped that the assault had “hurt”.
The case was investigated by the Ozark Police Department and prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dan Brogdon. Prosecution of the case, as always, was a team effort. Dawn Kloba and Julie Harlan served as the Victim Advocates and Donna Hanley served as Legal Assistant. Investigators Greg Reed and Justin Wishin assisted in the investigation and trial preparation for the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.