MAN
MAN WHO
MAN WHO LIVED THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE.
NIGHTMARE. >> Reporter: THIS MAN IS NOT A
FELON.
FELON.
FELON. THIS IS ANOTHER MAN AND HE IS A
FELON.
FELON.
FELON. >>
FELON. >> IT WAS A +@CRAZY COINCIDENCE
THAT WE WERE BORN ON THE SAME
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> Reporter: FOR YEARS THE
DALLAS COUNTY DEREK WILLIAMS
WAS AWARE OF THE OTHER ONE.
ESPECIALLY WHEN HE HAD TO GET
BACKGROUND+@ CHECKS FOR NEW JOB
OR TWO RENTED APARTMENT OR WHEN
HE BOUGHT A GUN.
>> I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH
STUFF HALF MY LIFE.
GOING THROUGH STUFF.
TRYING TO SHOW THAT I AM NOT
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. >>
HIM. >> Reporter: HIS BIGGEST FEAR
IS DRIVING AND BEING PULLED
OVER BY OFFICERS WHO MISTAKEN
FOR A CRIMINAL.
LET'S +@GO BACK TO OCTOBER 2018
YOU ARE LOOKING AT DALLAS
POLICE DASH CAM VIDEO.
THIS IS THE DALLAS COUNTY DEREK
WILLIAMS, HE AND TWO FRIENDS
WERE PULLED OVER LEAVING A
NIGHTCLUB.
NIGHTCLUB. LIKE MANY PEOPLE, HE BOUGHT A
GUN FOR HOME PROTECTION AND HAD
+@
GUN FOR HOME PROTECTION AND HAD IT WITH THEM THAT NIGHT.
OFFICERS FOUNDED ON THE
FLOORBOARD OF THE CA+@R.
>> I HAVE MY GUN.
>> Repor+@ter: HE DID NOT OF A
LICENSE TO CARRY.
SO HAVING IT IN PUBLIC WAS A
MISDEMEANOR.
MISDEMEANOR. BUT IF HE HAD B+@EEN A FELON, I
WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE SERIOUS
CRIME.
CRIME.
CRIME. YOU CAN HEAR AN OFFICER TALKING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. DALLAS POLICE HANDCUFFED HIM
AND TOOK HIM TO THE COUNTY JAIL
ON UNPAID TICKETS AND THE
MISDEMEANOR GUN CHARGE.
>> THEY TOOK US DOWN FOR THE
+@
>> THEY TOOK US DOWN FOR THE TICKET.
TICKET.
TICKET. THE JUDGE GAVE ME FELONY WITH A
FIREARM.
FIREARM.
FIREARM. >> Reporter: HE SAID HE BEGS
SOMEONE TO CHECK HIS
FINGERPRINTS SO THEY COULD SEE
HE WAS NOT A FELON.
>> THERE IS NO WAY.
>> Reporter: THE GRAND JURY
IN+@DICTED HIM NINE WAS LATER.
PROSECUTORS RELIED ON THE
DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
+@CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE PERSON
THEY ARRESTED.
THEY ARRESTED. THE CASE WAS PUT ON AUTOPILOT,
UNTIL IT LANDED ON THE DALLAS
COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S DESK.
SHE SAID THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY +@
WAS BLOCKED.
WAS BLOCKED. >> HE SAID, WE ARE NOT TAKING
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. WE WANT TO DISMISSAL.
>> Reporter: 11 MONTHS AFTER HE
WAS ARRESTED, THE DAS OFFICE
+@
WAS ARRESTED, THE DAS OFFICE BROUGHT IN ITS OWN FINGERPRINT
EXPERT.
EXPERT.
EXPERT. >> EVEN WHEN +@I WAS
FINGERPRINTING THIS GUY, HE WAS
ADAMANT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN
ARRESTED BEFORE.
ARRESTED BEFORE. >> Reporter: WHEN HE COMPARED
THE FINGERPRINTS TO THE PRINT +@
ON FILE IN HOUSTON --
>> I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: THE DALLAS POLICE
DEPARTMENT SAID THE CHECK THE
NATIONAL DATABASE AND SAW A
PERSON BELIEVED TO BE WILLIAMS
HAD A PRIOR FELONY CONVICTION.
HERE IS WHAT POLICE DID NO+@T D
THEY DID NOT+@ HAVE HIS
FINGERPRINTS DIGITALLY SCANNED
AT THE JAIL, IF THEY HAD THE
WOULD HAVE KNOWN IN MINUTES HE
WAS NOT A FELON.
WHY DID AND POLICE TAKE THAT
+@
+@ EXTRA
+@ EXTRA STEP?
EXTRA STEP? THEY WILL NOT TELL US.
BY THE WAY, THE DRIVERS +@
LICENSES ARE DIFFERENT. THE
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS DON'T
MATCH.
MATCH.
MATCH. AND THE FIRST AND MIDDLE NAMES
ARE SPELLED DIFFERENTLY.
THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT
FILED THE CASE DIRECTLY WITH
+@
FILED THE CASE DIRECTLY WITH THE DAS OFFICE. A DETECTIVE
NEVER EVEN SAT.
PROSECUTORS DISMISSED THE
FELONY CASE WHEN THEY REALIZ+@E
HE HAD BEEN WRONGFULLY CHARGED.
>> BEING IN THE SEAT I AM IN,
WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER.
THE POWER CAN CHANGE SOMEONE'S
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. THE
LIFE. THE RIGHT THING IN THIS CASE
WAS TO DISMISS WITH NO
HESITATION.
HESITATION. >> Re+@porter: ONE THING HAS NO
CHANGED, THE CASE STILL SHOWS
UP IF YOU TYPE HIS NAME AND IN
THE COUNTY DATABASE. IT LOOKS
LI+@KE YOU WERE A FELON IN
POSSESSION OF A FIREARM.
>> THAT IS WHAT I AM SAYING.
>> Reporter: HE IS STILL SCARED
TO DRIVE.
TO DRIVE.
TO DRIVE. >> I HAVE A FEAR OF BEING
STOPPED.
STOPPED.
STOPPED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: WE RE+@ACHED OUT T
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO TO
EXPUNGE OR CLEAR HIS RECORD.
SO THIS PAST THURSDAY, HE
RETURNED TO THE COURTHOUSE TO
MEET W+@ITH THE DISTRICT ATTORN.
>> WE ARE PROVIDING YOU WITH
THIS LETTER FROM ME.
>> Reporter: IT'S A LETTER HE+@
CAN SHOW TO PROVE HE IS NOT THE
OTHER DEREK.
OTHER DEREK. HE SAID HIS OFFICE IS TAKING
THE UNUSUAL STEP OF HELPING HIM
EXPUNGE HIS RECORD +@FOR FREE.
>> IT IS NOT HIM.
WE WANT TO GET THAT OFF OF HIM.
>> YOU CANNOT TAKE STUFF FOR
GRANTED.
GRANTED.
GRANTED. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO