Yesterday Willie Clark, the man accused of murdering Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Years Eve 2006, was found guilty yesterday of first degree murder for the death of Williams and 16 counts of attempted murder. Williams was killed after bullets sprayed the Hummer limo that several Broncos players were riding in after leaving a Denver night club. The confrontation started when Willie Clark, a member of the Tre-Tre Crips gang, was initially peeved when Broncos players were able to pass the line into the Safari night club. The conflict escalated when Brandon Marshall and his cousin apparently sprayed champagne into the crowd at the club, hitting some Crips gang members, including Clark. Williams apparently tried to deescalate the argument between Broncos players and the gang members, but was the accidental recipient of a bullet likely meant for Marshall or his cousin.
Williams was a second round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2005 draft. His potential was just being tapped as he earned a starting job next to Champ Bailey and was being talked of as a future Pro Bowl player. More importantly, Williams was known as a nice guy who was active in the community with charity work. Williams would return to his home town of Fort Worth, Texas to talk to kids about getting out of gangs and gang violence. That Williams was the one shot and killed is especially tragic, given that he spent his offseasons trying to minimize gang violence.
Williams’s death also had profound ramifications for the Broncos. Javon Walker basically demanded to leave Denver after sitting next to Williams in the limo and having him die in his arms. Images of Walker showing up at the Broncos training facility in a blood stained shirt the day after the shooting are ingrained in the Denver community, and Walker understandably no longer wanted to live in Denver to separate himself from the event. Brandon Marshall’s desire to leave Denver could in part have to do with the trauma of Williams’s death and knowing that he was likely the one Clark’s bullet was meant for. The Broncos were deeply scarred as an organization from losing one of their rising stars. Hopefully, this case will bring some closure for everyone involved. RIP Darrent Williams.
