Javon Walker Breaks His Silence on Williams Shooting

Javon Walker has yet to wash the shirt stained with Darrent Williams blood. Photo Courtesy

The wounds are still healing for the Denver community after the New Years slaying of young Darrent Williams. For some, the wounds are deeper than others, but none may be as difficult to bear as the scars Javon Walker carries with him every day. I broke down all over again as I read some of the things Javon said on HBO’s Real Sports, to air this coming Tuesday. Full Story (ESPN).

For what he says will be the only time, Walker opened up about what happened in the early morning hours of January 1, 2007. Walker still has the bloodied shirt he was wearing that night, never washed or cleaned, as a reminder of his friend and the fragility of life.

According to Real Sports, fellow Bronco Brandon Marshall and his cousin sprayed champagne on some other club patrons by accident, starting a confrontation between Williams and his entourage and the patrons, who flashed gang signs and were ultimately kicked out of the club. It has been previously reported that Williams was merely trying to keep peace during this confrontation.

Later, outside the club, Marshall and his cousin were seen exchanging heated words with the patrons, and Williams and Walker tried to intervene. Williams then told Walker they should leave, and they did so. Less than a mile away, the shooting took place.

Walker said Williams fell onto his lap as Walker was turning up the music. Thinking he was joking, he told his teammate to stop. That’s when he saw the blood spurting from Darrent’s neck. As Williams looked up at him, Walker says he just kept holding him and saying, “I got you Dee, I got you Dee.”

Javon wasn’t sure if he wanted to return to Denver, and who could blame him? He was coping in his own way, and didn’t attend the Memorial in Fort Worth because he didn’t want to relive the pain. I can’t imagine what he has gone through, and want Javon to know that the Denver community will always support him. I hope he stays in Denver for the entirety of his career, but if he were to ever move, I will always have his back.

It’s despicable to think that people could take a life over something as small as spilled champagne… makes the “spilled milk” cliche come into cruel, ironic light. I hope Brandon Marshall didn’t or doesn’t blame himself for what happened that night – something that insignificant should never have escalated to the point where a young life was lost. There are people currently in custody for federal drug charges who are believed to have knowledge on what happened that night – one investigator says that some of these men were in the vehicle that shot at the limousine that night. I hope the police can bring Williams’ killer to justice – they deserve to rot for the pain they have caused that night and across this country.