KC Man Convicted of Assaulting Federal Officers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted at trial today of striking two federal officers with his vehicle.

Geno A. Williams, 53, was found guilty during a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough of one count of assaulting a federal officer or employee.

According to evidence introduced during the trial, Williams entered the Social Security Administration office at 2021 Independence Ave., Kansas City, Mo., at about 10:30 a.m. on May 29, 2015. Williams checked in then sat down with his two minor children. Williams was agitated and confrontational toward the Federal Protective Service officers on duty and began filming them with his cell phone. When the officer told Williams he could not record within the facility, Williams complained he was being harassed and said the officer could not tell him what to do. The officer then told Williams he needed to leave the property.

As Williams was leaving, he told the officers that he “knew who they were,” which was taken as a threat to the officers. Two officers followed Williams out of the facility to his vehicle and were ordered by a supervisor to detain him. One of the officers went to the driver’s side door to talk to Williams, who had gotten into the vehicle and locked the doors. The officers attempted to open the vehicle’s doors while an officer walked to the rear of the vehicle and called in the license plate to headquarters.

At that point, Williams backed up the vehicle into the officer, who told Williams, “You just hit me with your vehicle, stop!” Williams continued to back up, however, continually hitting the officer and causing injury. Another officer walked in front of the vehicle. Williams sped forward, forcing the officer to dive out of the way to avoid being run over.

The incident was captured on video. Williams was arrested later that day at his residence.

Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to eight years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Federal Protective Service.