The New York City Police Department (NYPD) reportedly allowed a murder suspect to leave a precinct stationhouse on September 11 after he attempted to surrender, according to his attorney and police sources. Tiliek Shamel Thompson, 41, was later taken into custody on September 12 and charged with murder, assault, strangulation, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. The charges stem from the September 6 death of Lovay Williams, 27, who was found in her Washington Heights apartment with trauma to her face and neck.
The incident occurred at the 33rd Precinct stationhouse around 5 a.m. on September 11, when Thompson arrived with two cousins. According to Thompson's attorney, Neville Onielle Dexter Mitchell, the cousins informed the desk officer that police were looking for Thompson. Mitchell reported that the officer replied, "I just came back from vacation. Nobody’s here," and provided the group with a phone number for homicide detectives before allowing them to leave.
An NYPD spokeswoman disputed this account after reviewing audio and video of the encounter. She stated that the family did not explicitly tell the officer that police were looking for Thompson and that the officer misunderstood their reason for visiting. According to the spokeswoman, the officer believed the group were members of the victim's family and mentioned his vacation to explain why he was unfamiliar with the case. Thompson eventually returned to police and was successfully processed the following day.
The NYPD has acknowledged the encounter was mishandled. Current and former NYPD officers have stated that standard procedure involves detaining suspects or contacting homicide detectives even if investigators are not immediately available. Former NYPD Detective Michael Alcazar said suspects should be detained until investigators on the "nightwatch" shift can arrive.
The department hired 4,056 new officers in 2025, the largest number hired in a single year, according to reports. The NYPD also lowered some hiring requirements, including reducing the number of college credits required from 60 to 24.
Thompson remains charged with murder and other felonies related to the September 6 killing. Williams' 7-year-old daughter, who was found unharmed in the apartment where the killing occurred, is central to the charges involving child injury.