DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — Malik McDowell, a defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, has been arrested on charges of public exposure and beating a deputy in a “violent attack” that left the officer “dazed,” according to an arrest report.
The deputy said McDowell “charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist,” leaving the deputy injured, the report said.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested McDowell in Deerfield Beach on Monday on charges of exposing himself in public, resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.
McDowell appeared before a Broward County judge Tuesday.
Sheriff’s deputies reported that they got a call of a naked man walking near a school, according to the incident report obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday.
Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder told judge Phoebee Francois that McDowell was actually near a learning center, not a school, for children and it was in session. Linder said police said there’s surveillance video that shows McDowell went onto the learning center property while naked.
When McDowell charged at him, the deputy reported he wasn’t able to avoid the confrontation, use his weapon, or “de-escalation tactics.” The deputy fought back, but McDowell fled, the report said.
The deputy used a Taser to place McDowell in handcuffs.
McDowell’s defense attorney, Adam Swickle, said “apparently somebody may have slipped him something or given him something he was unaware of, which explains some of his bizarre behavior.”
After the hearing Swickle expounded on that statement a bit.
“Obviously, we’re continuing to investigate the situation right now,” he said. “We believe throughout the investigation there will be things that will come to light which will explain what took place.”
McDowell’s future with the Browns is unclear.
“We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information. 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,” the Browns organization said in a statement Tuesday.
McDowell, who is 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, played in 15 games and recorded 33 tackles, 3.0 sacks and a recovered fumble for the Browns this season.
The 25-year-old had been seeking a second chance in the NFL with the Browns.
McDowell was a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 out of Michigan State. But he got into an ATV accident weeks before training camp was scheduled to begin in late July of that year and was placed on the team’s injured list for the 2017 season.
McDowell was arrested in September 2017 on a DUI charge in Michigan and got 12 months of probation. He was arrested again in December 2017 on a disorderly conduct charge in Atlanta in connection with a nightclub incident.
McDowell also spent the 2018 season on Seattle’s injured list.
He was arrested in February 2019 on the charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, resisting arrest and assault. He was sentenced to 153 days in jail for that offense and got credit for 66 days served. The Seahawks released him one month later in March 2019 and he was issued a two-game NFL suspension.
In April 2019, he was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property after he was found with a stolen pickup truck, authorities said. He got 244 days in jail for that infraction.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s incident report, he was on probation in Michigan at the time of this latest incident.
McDowell is being held at the Broward Main Jail on a $31,000 bond.
