The troubles of Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell continue.
McDowell was arrested Monday in Florida on multiple charges. They include battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, and public exposure.
The battery and resisting officer are both felony charges while the exposure charge is a misdemeanor, according to Broward County court records.
“We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Browns said in a statement. “We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Per the police report obtained by Cleveland.com:
… 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.
A judge found probable cause for the charges during McDowell’s first court appearance Tuesday morning.
Authorities say The Learning Experience on Hillsboro Technology Drive was in session when surveillance video shows McDowell going naked onto the property. The learning center — which caters to children 6 months to 6 years old — went into a brief lockdown, with Nan Zamora of the company saying they saw “a gentleman roaming the parking lot without any clothing on. And he seemed to be not himself.”
McDowell allegedly fled and was tasered after a brief pursuit on foot and handcuffed.
McDowell was a second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks out of Michigan State in 2017. He never played for them after suffering a head injury in an ATV accident before training camp.
McDowell has had a number of legal issues since entering the league, most notably when he fought with two Lathrup Village police officers after getting stopped for suspicion of drunk driving in 2019, according to the Detroit News. The NFL suspended him for the first two games of the 2019 season as a result of the incident. He also faced charges of concealing stolen property two months later: a $74,000 Ford F-150 Raptor pickup he claimed to have bought off the street.
McDowell pleaded guilty to charges of assault/resisting arrest, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and receiving and concealing stolen property in October 2019. He was sentenced to 11 months in prison and three years probation and had to write three essays as part of his sentence.
