Man charged with shooting Webbers Falls police officer arrested in New Mexico

The man accused of shooting a police officer near Webbers Falls on Sunday has been arrested in Grants, New Mexico, according to the Muskogee County sheriff.

Billy Wayne Williams, 46, is alive and recovering in a New Mexico hospital after he was found with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He has now been federally charged with "assault to commit murder in Indian Country" and "attempted murder in Indian Country."

Suspect Arrested: Billy Wayne Williams Captured in New Mexico

Officers of the Grants Police Department say once they received information about the suspect from Oklahoma Highway Patrol they used their License Plate Reader system to determine that the white Nissan Altima driven by the suspect Williams had been seen at 7:42 AM in the area.

The car was later spotted in a Wal-Mart parking lot with Williams inside. According to Grants PD, as officers attempted to make contact with Williams, a single gunshot was heard, which was determined to be a self-inflicted shot.

Officers worked to attend to Williams before he was transported to a New Mexico hospital.

Grants is about 80 miles west of Albuquerque and a nearly 11-hour drive from Webbers Falls. The FBI will take over the investigation due to the tribal status of Williams.

What Happened In Webbers Falls?

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) reported that a shooting occurred during a traffic stop at around 5:45 p.m. after an officer initially tried to pull over a speeding driver now identified as Billy Wayne Williams.

Williams eventually stopped near East Lynch Street and North Smith Street and at some point during the stop, shots were fired. The officer sustained an injury to the face from the gunfire but has since been treated and released from the hospital.

For the past four years, Shawn Long has lived in Webbers Falls and never had any issues. That all changed Sunday night when a Webbers Falls police officer was shot just a couple of doors down from his home.

“I heard some loud booms, I thought my wife had dropped something but then I came outside and seen her [the police officer] walking this way bleeding and I was like, 'What happened?' She said the guy just shot her and took off so we got her a towel,” said Long.

Webbers Falls is a small farming town and doesn't usually have issues with violent crime according to police. 

“It happened to be the wrong guy passing through at the wrong time and our officer engaged with him in a routine traffic stop,” said Chief Mike James. 

Insights from Webbers Falls Police Chief:

Webbers Falls Police Chief Mike James says this has been difficult for the small police force.

"We are a small force here, and we are very tight and very much like family. Being the oldest, it feels like this has happened to one of my children," James said.

Previous Story: Webbers Falls Police officer shot, authorities searching for suspect

According to Chief James, the officer who was shot is at home recovering. 

"She was joking around with me quite a bit today on the phone, she’s a wonderful person to have employed here and she is very eager to get back to work,” said James. 

He's glad Williams is now in police custody and facing federal charges. 

“It was a great effort over many jurisdictional lines to get this guy caught.” Said James. “We're just happy that he got caught and that quickly.”

Multiple agencies, including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Cherokee Marshals, and the Muskogee County Sheriff's Office were involved in the search.