PEARSON, Ga. (WALB) - A City of Pearson official has been separated from her position following a DUI arrest over the weekend, according to Mayor Jason Joyner. The employee was also facing charges from 2024 for allegedly firing a gun at a vehicle.

According to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), just after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026, a trooper initiated a traffic stop involving Ladowell Williams (27).

Williams, who served as the city’s deputy city clerk and the municipal clerk for police department, was arrested and charged with:

• DUI
• Adult restraint law/seatbelt violation
• Window tint violation

City officials confirm Williams was served a separation notice following the arrest.

According to the arrest report, Williams did not pass field sobriety tests. A state trooper also reported finding marijuana inside the vehicle. The car was released to her father, former Mayor Pro Tem Tony Williams, who currently serves as a city councilman in Pearson.

Williams was booked into the Atkinson County Jail and later released on bond. Records show she was already out on bond in connection with a separate 2024 case at the time of this arrest. In 2024, investigators allege she fired a gun at a vehicle with her child’s father and child inside.

In that case, Williams is facing:

• Two counts of aggravated assault
• Cruelty to children
• Allowing a child to witness a felony
• Possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime or attempted crime
• Discharge of a gun or pistol near a public highway

Pearson Mayor Jason Joyner emphasized accountability as a priority, stating that progress in Pearson begins with restoring trust and making changes within city leadership.

Mayor Joyner described the city’s decision to separate Williams from her position as “part of a broader effort to restore confidence and accountability in Pearson’s local government.”

This push for restored confidence in Pearson’s leadership comes after a tumultuous 2025, with other city leaders being arrested and charged by the GBI in what they called a “City of Pearson Corruption Investigation.”

Both then-mayor Robert “Buster” Johnson (49) and then-city clerk Patricia Ballard (67) were arrested during that GBI operation.

You can read more about the GBI’s “City of Pearson Corruption Investigation” here:

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