A 22-year-old Lansing man has been found guilty of endangering a child after home security video allegedly captured him carrying a crying infant by his clothing, dropping him on the floor, and shoving him into a bassinet. Burnis L. Williams pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of aggravated endangering a child, and the court accepted the plea and entered a guilty finding the same day.
What the Security Video Allegedly Shows
The case began when a Lansing police officer responded to a home after a report of neglect involving a male child under 12 months old, according to kctv5.com. Officers reviewed home security footage that station reported showed Williams picking the crying child up by his clothing and carrying him upstairs before dropping him on the floor. A second clip, per the same account, showed Williams aggressively placing the still-crying child into a bassinet.
According to the Kansas City Star, Williams is a 22-year-old Lansing resident. The station's report indicates officers viewed multiple videos from the home before the case moved forward through the Leavenworth County Attorney's Office, which issued a news release on the matter.
No Contest Plea Leads to Guilty Finding
Williams entered a no contest plea to the two counts Wednesday, and the court accepted it and found him guilty, the station's report states. Under Kansas law, a plea of nolo contendere is a formal declaration that the defendant does not contest the charge, and once a court accepts such a plea, a finding of guilty may be adjudged, according to the Kansas Revisor of Statutes. In practice, that means Williams neither admitted nor denied the charges but accepted conviction as though he had.
Aggravated endangering a child is recklessly causing or permitting a child to be placed in a situation where the child's life, body or health is endangered, per the Kansas State Legislature.
Sentencing Set for Next Month
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, per the same report. Leavenworth County officials underscored the stakes of the case in public remarks tied to the prosecution. County Attorney Todd Thompson said protecting those who cannot protect themselves is a top priority for his office, and he urged residents who witness potential abuse or neglect to report it to local law enforcement or another trusted source.
