Man Allegedly Tells Police 'Take Me to Jail,' Goes to Jail

Written by Jack Tobias

An out-of-town man making an overnight ruckus in Wilson after being thrown out of his ex-girlfriend’s residence told police that if they wouldn’t give him a ride home or find him a room, he’d rather go to jail than have to live on the streets.

And that’s what happened.

Daymond Williams, 38, of Lancaster, was charged with disorderly conduct after the noisy incident around 3 Monday morning.

He was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $3,000 bail.

A criminal complaint describes how the incident on the 2200 block of Forest Street escalated when Williams took the side of his ex-girlfriend’s son.

The mother had told her son he could not leave the house but Williams told him he did not have to listen to his mother, according to the complaint filed by borough Officer Shane M. Gessner.

Then the woman’s daughter came to her mother’s defense. The complaint says Williams went up to the daughter “and got in her face.” The daughter said Williams shoved her.

Here is the complaint’s description of the four aspects of the disorderly conduct charge:

--Engage in fighting or threatening or in violent or tumultuous behavior. Williams waived his arms toward officers and shouted at them, and was warned not to touch them.

--Unreasonable noise. The ruckus caused several residents to turn on their house lights during the overnight incident.

--Obscene language/gestures. Williams yelled “several variations” of the f-word.

--Hazardous/physically offensive condition with no legitimate purpose. He did not listen to officers’ commands and said he didn’t have to listen to officers.

At one point, the complaint says, officers told Williams he wasn’t in trouble but that he was not wanted at the house and couldn’t stay.

Officers tried to find him space at the Safe Harbor shelter in Easton but it was full. And they said they would not drive him to Lancaster.

Williams said he then would stay at the Forest Street residence. When officers said “no” to that, Williams said “then you have to take me to jail.”

Williams was arraigned shortly after 8 Monday morning by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township.