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SAVANNAH, Ga. — A relative of a suspect tied to a violent incident has expressed concerns that the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office may have compromised her safety during a recent Facebook Live session.
During the broadcast, Sheriff Richard Coleman discussed a viral video featuring a beating in Pooler and inadvertently displayed a mugshot that included the suspect’s address. The family member, who isn’t involved in any wrongdoing, now fears potential retaliation due to this exposure.
Although she acknowledges the authorities’ efforts to locate 34-year-old Motreon Williams for his suspected involvement in the assault, she is worried that sharing his last known address—her residence—has put her at risk.
The video in question captures a violent encounter in a Walmart parking lot in Pooler. Authorities are currently searching for Williams, who faces charges of orchestrating the attack and is wanted for aggravated assault.
Sheriff Coleman addressed the situation during a Facebook livestream on Wednesday, which was filmed near the location of the incident.
“I am going to find you. I’m looking for you right now. I’m out here working. We just left your house,” Coleman said.
But when he held up a mugshot, an address was visible, and the family member said she is now frightened.
“I have not been sleeping. I feel unsafe. I don’t know what could happen, because my address is broadcast and I hear it’s all down in Brunswick. It’s all over,” she said.
She also said she felt the sheriff was threatening her and insisted she doesn’t know anything about the suspect’s whereabouts.
“Now, tomorrow, I’m going live in front of your house. In front of your house. I’m cutting off all your utilities,” Coleman said.
The family member said, “I feel threatened by how our utilities are going to be turned off and going to have a Facebook live in front of our home.”
She said statements like that, made publicly, can put people not accused of a crime at risk.
“I’m not knocking him for doing his job, but I feel like we could have been owed an apology to have our information blasted out like that. And it was not done in a professional way. Going forward, I hope no other family has to go through that.”
She said, “It was just very unprofessional and unsafe. So, I hope something comes out of this that they are held accountable for this.”
In response, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office released a statement:
“As we appreciate any concerns brought forward by members of our community, we also recognize that those concerns represent a small portion of the overall feedback we receive.
Daily, we continue to welcome and value the overwhelming appreciation expressed by the masses regarding our social media presence, transparency and proactive communication efforts. We are proud to report that there is no safety issues associated with our social media practices.
Our approach reflects a progressive and intentional strategy aimed at keeping our community informed, engaged, and protected while we combat crime each day. Our mission remains clear: to safeguard our neighborhoods, uphold the law with integrity, and ensure that our residents feel protected and supported.
The trust placed in this office is something we take seriously, and we will continue to operate with professionalism, transparency, and accountability. The safety of our residents remains our highest priority.”