Joshua Williams
Joshua Williams is probably starting to hate April 28.
For the second time in as many years, Philadelphia police arrested Williams on that date. A year ago, officers charged him with breaking into a house and assaulting someone with a gun. Williams beat that rap when the victim failed to show up for court.
This year, cops busted Williams, 19, of the 1100 block of S. 51st St., and accused him of the New Year’s Day 2013 slaying of Tyjuan Shields on Pratt Street just east of Frankford Avenue. Williams allegedly opened fire on a house occupied by Shields at about 2:35 a.m. One bullet struck Shields, 24, in the head. He died at the scene.
Police believe that both men were involved in an argument in the street that night. The nature of the dispute is not known. Police did not disclose what prompted them to suspect Williams in the slaying.
Williams is being held in Philadelphia prison without bail on a general charge of murder, in addition to weapons violations and reckless endangerment.
He is scheduled for a May 14 preliminary hearing.
The alleged assault that authorities tried to pin on Williams last year occurred on April 27, 2013, almost four months after the shooting of Shields. Williams spent almost four months behind bars before prosecutors were forced to withdraw the case when the complaining witness failed to show up for a third consecutive court date. ••
