EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — India Williams, who was paralyzed by a stray bullet as a child, was sent off to her prom at Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School Thursday with support from the Detroit Police Department, who has been by her side since the reckless act of gun violence in 2014.
18-year-old India Williams had her entire family stop by her home in Eastpointe to send her off, along with a few notable members of the Detroit Police Department.
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“We’re always here, we never forget anybody," Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said.
It has been a long journey for Williams, who had to relearn her new normal after becoming paralyzed. The individuals involved were shooting at one another, racing through the streets of Detroit, and were never found or prosecuted.
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“She never lost her spirit, even after her accident in 2014 when she got shot," her mother, Clinqute Burnett-Davis, said. "It didn’t break her.”
Chief Bettison says the city that Williams grew up in has changed a lot since that incident.
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“You can’t even recognize the city of Detroit from 10 years ago, from the economic vitality, it’s a safer place, crime is continuously going down," he said.
Detroit Police and Williams have maintained a relationship since the tragedy, so much so that Williams became Sergeant Williams through the DPD Explorer Program.
“I love it, they never let my baby down and it’s always amazing," Burnett-Davis said.
Williams then received a full police escort to her high school with lights and sirens for the big event, with her future as bright as the sirens themselves.
“I’m going to college for pre-med, and when I'm done with that, I'll probably join the police," Williams said.
