VANCOUVER – An assault charge against Vancouver Whitecaps defender Sheanon Williams in connection with an alleged domestic incident last week was stayed by the Crown on Monday.
A spokesperson for the B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed in an email the case won’t be pursued at this time, but the Crown does have one year to re-file charges.
Major League Soccer said in a statement Friday that the 27-year-old Williams was arrested Thursday morning and suspended by the league, pending investigations by MLS and the Vancouver Police Department.
The league added Williams would undergo an assessment by MLS’ Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Program (SABH), and that further determination on his status would be made after the completion of the assessment and the investigations.
On June 30, Williams was cleared to return to team activities and competition. Williams voluntarily entered the SABH program to be assessed and will continue counseling after he returns to the club.
The Whitecaps said in an earlier that the team is a “values based organization and we expect all members of the club to act in a manner that reflects our values both on and off the field.”
Acquired from the Houston Dynamo in December, Williams has started 11 games in MLS for Vancouver this season.
The right back was brought in to help a leaky defence that surrendered 52 goals in 2016.
The five-foot-11, 170-pound Williams began his career with the Philadelphia Union before joining Houston.
Williams’ arrest and suspension came after news broke Thursday that two minors had been charged with sexual assault in relation to a separate incident involving some male youth players at a Whitecaps’ training facility in Burnaby, B.C.
WATCH: Alleged sexual assault at Whitecaps residency program
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