Washington County Sheriff Boogie2988 is facing an aggravated assault charge in Arkansas over a 2020 gun incident.
YouTube star Boogie2988 is facing an aggravated assault charge stemming from a 2020 gun incident involving fellow YouTuber Frank Hassle. Boogie2988, whose real name is Steven Jason Williams, is wanted on an arrest warrant in Washington County, Arkansas, online records show.
According to DramaAlert host Keemstar, the 46-year-old Boogie2988 pointed a gun and fired a warning shot at Frank Hassle in September 2020 when Hassle showed up at his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He had accused Hassle of being an online troll and of harassing him prior to the incident, according to Keemstar.
The warrant for Boogie’s arrest was issued by a Washington County judge on May 7, 2021, and is listed on the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s website. His bond is set at $5,000. Boogie, best known for ranting about video games and nerd culture, responded to the reports about the arrest warrant on Twitter, writing that he would be fully cooperating with authorities. According to his social media pages, Boogie was out of state at the time the warrant was issued. Boogie tweeted that he had spoken to his lawyer and was on his way home to Arkansas on May 10.
Boogie2988 Faces Up to 6 Years in Prison if Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault
According to court documents obtained by Heavy, the case against Boogie2988 was filed on May 7, 2021. He was charged with aggravated assault, which is a class D felony in Arkansas. According to Arkansas state law, a class D felony carries a potential sentence of up to six years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
The charge was filed by the Fayetteville Police Department. Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Durrett and Deputy Prosecutor Denis Dean obtained the warrant. According to the criminal information filed by prosecutors, “on or about September 28, 2020, in Washington County, Arkansas, the said defendant knowingly and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, purposely displays a firearm in such a manner that creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury. … the defendant discharged a firearm into a residential neighborhood, thereby manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life and creating a substantial danger of death or physical injury against the peace and dignity of the State of Arkansas.”
Most of the affidavit filed by Detective Joshua Mixon in support of the charge is redacted, including the section of facts of the case. The court records do not indicate when Boogie is scheduled to appear for a hearing.
According to Vice’s Motherboard, Boogie2988 said he had been stalked by Frank Hassle prior to the incident. He told the news site, “If I had to do it over. I would do things differently.”
He added, “I don’t think I would have opened the door. I think, in retrospect, it was a mistake to open the door. You know, I certainly do not want to shoot anybody. I certainly absolutely do not want to kill anybody. I hate that I was put into that situation.”
Before the incident, Hassle, who often posts videos on social media showing him confronting people while filming with a GoPro, and Boogie appeared on video with Keemstar before the incident. During that interaction, Boogie told Hassle, “This is not f****** funny to me. I am not participating willingly in this. I told you to f****** leave me alone, and I will fucking end you if you step foot on my f****** property, Frank.”
Keemstar posted a video supporting Boogie after sharing news of the arrest warrant. He added, “I do not have any side in this conflict. I just simply tweeted what was going on. And I hope for the safety of everyone on both sides. War is never good. Innocent people die.”
Boogie2988 Responded to the News of the Charge on Twitter, Saying ‘I Am Gonna Do the Right Thing & Do It by the Book
So news circulating around me: can’t really comment for obvious reason. Thank you and anyone for support in this situation tho. I am gonna do the right thing and do it by the book. Glad to cooperate with authorities. Heading home today to do so.
On Twitter, Boogie2988 responded to the news of the charge against him. He wrote, “So news circulating around me: can’t really comment for obvious reason. Thank you and anyone for support in this situation tho. I am gonna do the right thing and do it by the book. Glad to cooperate with authorities. Heading home today to do so.”
He also joked about the old driver’s license photo used by the sheriff’s office on its website in the warrant database. Boogie tweeted, “Damn why they use this 8 year old photo of me.”
Boogie2988 added in another series of tweets, “Just want to say thank you to those of you who have supported me at one time or another over the years. Bigger thank you to those who support me still now and with what’s going on. Thanks for watching, I love you very much, and I will speak with you again soon. … This has nothing to do with suicide or anything for those who might think that. Just logging off social for a few days to resolve all that cop stuff.”
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