Waleisah Wilson pulls out of District 7 race after arrest in domestic violence dispute

Waleisah Wilson, an advocate for ex-felons transitioning back into society, pulled out of the District 7 Columbus race six weeks after being arrested.

The arrest occurred Nov. 27 at an 1145 Peabody Avenue apartment, according to a Columbus police report. Officers were dispatched to the location at about 12:37 a.m. in reference to a dispute.

Wilson, 42, was taken into custody without incident and charged with unlawful conduct during a 911 call, according to police.

On Jan. 2, Wilson posted a video on her Facebook page announcing her withdrawal from the District 7 race. She decided to pull out because she recently moved out of the district and that disqualified her to run, she said.

Wilson also took the opportunity to address rumors about her legal issues. “I did have an arrest last month, and I was booked in and ended up bonded out,” she said. “... I have the knack of sowing into others, and empowering others, and I was not doing that for myself.”

Wilson said she had been in a verbally and physically abusive relationship for the past three and half to four years. She said it eventually got out of hand, and she called the police on her abuser during the Nov. 27 incident.

“And when they came out, they arrested me and said that I’ve called 911 too many times, and because of that I was abusing the 911 system,” she said. “But I thought ... ‘If I can’t call the police when I’m in need of help, who am I supposed to call?’”

The Ledger-Enquirer tried to obtain additional information from police, but they did not release any details about the incident.

“But that’s neither here nor there,” Wilson said of the arrest. “God has been with me in the midst of my storm, and I know that when there is no one else that I can depend on, I can depend on him.”

She was forced to move because of the domestic violence situation, she said.

“I tried really hard to find a place in District 7, but there was no place that I could find that was feasible or safe enough for me and my child,” she said. So she moved to a location in District 4.

Wilson, an ex-felon, is founder NewLife-Second Chance Outreach Inc., an agency that helps people getting out of prison transition back into society.

In a 2015 interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, Wilson said she was charged with arson when her mother’s car caught fire. She said law enforcement authorities accused her of starting the fire to cash in on her mother’s life insurance policy, a charge she still denies.

Wilson said her mother died from injuries sustained in the fire. Wilson never was charged with manslaughter.

She spent a year incarcerated and was released in 2011.

In August, Wilson filed a Declaration of Intent with the Muscogee County Elections Office to run for the seat currently occupied by Councilor Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson. Also intending to run is Jeremy Hobbs, director of Colgay Pride and LGBT Liaison for Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s Office.

The Declaration of Intent allows potential candidates to begin raising money, but they can’t officially run for office until they qualify in March.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Waleisah Wilson pulls out of District 7 race after arrest in domestic violence dispute."