By Steve Neavling
This week, F.B.I. agents conducted a search at the home of Brian Williams, a deputy mayor of Los Angeles, as part of a probe into an alleged bomb threat directed at City Hall earlier in the year.
Authorities suspect that Williams himself may have issued the threat, The New York Times reports.
Mayor Karen Bass appointed Williams to his role last year, tasking him with supervising public safety for the city. Following the search at his Pasadena home on Tuesday, Williams was promptly placed on administrative leave, according to a statement from the mayor’s office released on Wednesday.
Details surrounding the timing of the bomb threat remain unclear. However, officials have emphasized that the Los Angeles Police Department found no immediate risk to public safety when the threat was initially assessed, according to the statement.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s preliminary investigation identified Williams as the probable source of the threat. Due to the deputy mayor’s professional ties to the department, the case was referred to the FBI, LAPD officials explained.
When contacted, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office declined to provide any details about the search or investigation. Meanwhile, Williams himself did not return calls seeking comment on Wednesday.
In the quiet Pasadena neighborhood where Williams lives, some residents expressed disbelief. Christopher Walker, 45, a longtime neighbor who said he has known Williams for 14 years, noted he had not witnessed any law enforcement activity near the deputy mayor’s home. Walker only learned about the investigation through online news reports.
“Whatever this is, I don’t believe,” Walker said. “I’d tell the city to do their due diligence, but Mr. Williams is a wonderful person, kind person, wonderful father, wonderful husband.”
Williams was appointed in February 2023 to oversee a broad range of public safety responsibilities in Los Angeles, including the Police Department, Fire Department, and airport and port police. His role also encompassed the city’s Emergency Management Department.
Before taking on his current position, Williams had held several key roles in Southern California’s government. He served as executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission and previously worked as an assistant city attorney.
His political experience stretches back to the early 2000s, when he was a deputy mayor under former Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn. During that time, Williams oversaw major city operations, including transportation and public works.
