Pursuit ends with crash in Sun City, teen murder suspect in custody

SUN CITY, Ariz. - A teen accused of murder is in custody after a police pursuit ended in a crash near 101st Avenue and Grand early Friday morning.

Sir Amir Williamson, 17, had been pulled over in an SUV in Wickenburg with at least three other people in the car at 4 a.m. on April 21.

Officers later found out that Williamson was wanted for allegedly killing his cousin at a north Phoenix motel earlier this week.

Police say that the SUV refused to yield and fled at high speed into the city of Surprise. The pursuit eventually came to an end in Sun City after the vehicle crashed into a block wall.

The SUV had been traveling at speeds of over 100 miles per hour during the chase, officials said.

Surveillance video shows police pulling up and finding a woman, along with children, inside the SUV. Several people were later seen being loaded into an ambulance.

Williamson was on the loose for several more hours. Police and K-9 officers searched the surrounding area, scouring people's backyards and searching through trash bags. His arrest was announced shortly before 12:00 p.m.

People near where the pursuit ended speak out

The pursuit ended across from a pastry and bake shop. We spoke with the shop's owner, Samantha Nguyen, after the incident was over.

"I freaked out. I freaked out when I saw the video," said Nguyen.

Nguyen said she was not there to witness the crash, but some of her employees were there.

"We had three people here since 2:00 a.m., and they saw that," said Nguyen. "They were just, like, scared."

Nguyen said the neighborhood is normally very quiet, and she is grateful that Williamson is no longer a threat to the community.

Suspect's mother allegedly prevented her son from turning himself into police

According to court documents, Williamson's mother, 45-year-old Tanyelle Williams, was arrested for hindering prosecution after she prevented her son from turning himself in after he allegedly shot and killed his cousin at a north Phoenix motel.

During the investigation into the motel shooting, Williams identified the suspect captured on surveillance video as her son.

"[Williams] insisted she did not know where her son was or where he would go," court documents read.

Investigators later learned Williams may have been hiding her son. She later admitted to police that she was "hiding her son from people who wanted to kill him."

"She stated she would not turn him in until she had money for an attorney," court documents read.

Police say when they ordered Williams over the phone to turn in her son, she hung up on them.

A couple of days later, police tracked Williams to Wickenburg, where she was spotted speeding in an SUV. When an officer tried to pull her over, she refused, and a pursuit ensued.

The pursuit came to an end in Sun City where Williams crashed the SUV. She was taken into custody, but her son was not in the vehicle.

Wiliams' daughter then contacted police, saying she was going to turn in her brother. She drove him to Phoenix Police headquarters where he was taken into custody.

During an interview with police, Williams' daughter allegedly said her brother told her the motel shooting was an accident, and that he wanted to turn himself in, but his mother wouldn't let him.

Williamson claimed his mother took him to Wickenburg "and despite him asking several times, refused to allow him to turn himself in."

"The son stated [Williams] would not allow him to turn himself in because she wanted him to have legal representation," court documents read.

Williamson also claimed his mother took his phone after the motel shooting and disposed of it.

Williams denied taking her son's phone, but admitted to taking him to Wickenburg, court documents said.

"[Williams] acknowledged knowing the police needed to speak with her son and stated she did not turn her son in because she was trying to get money for an attorney," court documents read. 

Police said the delay in Williamson's apprehension "provided time for the relocation/destruction of significant probative evidence to include the gun and clothing worn by the murder suspect which locations are currently unknown."

Where the pursuit ended: