A former Louisville Metro Police Department officer already facing theft charges tied to his time on the force is now accused of hitting his 8-year-old child with a belt multiple times, leaving bruises on the child's thighs and buttocks, according to court records. Marcel Williams, who previously worked as an LMPD officer, is facing a new child-abuse charge; the child's mother has accused him of abuse.
According to court records cited by Local 12, the child's mother filed a police report and shared photographs of the child's injuries with investigators. The outlet reports that Williams “is now also facing child abuse charges,” in addition to the theft case already pending against him.
Williams was indicted over the summer on theft charges alongside another former LMPD officer, Salat Aweys, according to WDRB. Prosecutors accused the pair of working private security while on duty with LMPD, effectively double-dipping on pay for hours they were supposed to be patrolling the city. Both men pleaded not guilty to the theft charges and were released on their own recognizance, the station reported.
Conflicting Accounts On Williams's Employment Status
Reports differ on what happened to Williams's job after the theft indictment. Local 12 reported that he was terminated after the indictment, while the same report from the station notes he had worked for LMPD. WDRB, however, reported that the department had initiated the termination process for Williams following the grand jury indictment, rather than confirming an outright firing. The discrepancy between the two accounts has not been resolved.
The theft case against Williams and Aweys surfaced amid broader scrutiny of overtime spending inside LMPD. Per the station's earlier reporting, overtime cost Louisville Metro taxpayers $66 million over the prior three years, and payroll records showed 17 officers more than doubled their pay with overtime between 2023 and 2025. Another 170 officers earned at least $50,000 in overtime in a single recent year, the same reporting found.
Other Officers Caught Up In Overtime Scrutiny
Williams and Aweys are not the only LMPD officers to face scrutiny tied to overtime and payroll practices this year. In May, LMPD officer Roberto Grider was indicted after the department found inaccuracies on his timecard, according to the same WDRB reporting that detailed the overtime figures. That case, along with the Williams and Aweys indictments, has put a spotlight on how the department tracks hours worked by its officers.
No details on the outcome of the child-abuse case, including any plea or scheduled court dates, have been reported. The theft case against Williams and Aweys also remains pending after both men pleaded not guilty earlier this year.
