Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell was arrested on Monday on suspicion of two felonies – aggravated battery on an officer and resisting an officer with violence – and the misdemeanor crime of public exposure, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who first reported the story.
McDowell is no stranger to the criminal justice system, having had numerous run-ins with law enforcement in the past.
Cleveland.com was able to obtain a police report of the latest incident, which was alleged to have occurred in Deerfield Park, FL. Per the report:
A Broward County Sherriff’s officer responded to a report of a naked male walking near a school on Monday afternoon. When the officer arrived, he observed McDowell sitting on a curb. The report states McDowell charged at the officer at full speed with a closed fist and the officer was unable to avoid the attack or use non-lethal or de-escalation tactics.
The officer wrote in the report he was dazed by punches which he described as being “swung with extreme aggression.”
Following the altercation, the report states McDowell fled and was tasered after a brief pursuit on foot and handcuffed.
The Brows have already issued a statement acknowledging the team’s awareness of the ongoing situation and are attempting to gather more information.
McDowell was originally selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Michigan State but never played a snap for Seattle. The defensive tackle sustained a head injury in an ATV accident the summer before his rookie season and was eventually released in 2019.
He was signed to a one-year deal with Cleveland in 2021 and logged 30 tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed in 15 games played for the Browns this season.
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