More information is coming out in the arrest of Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell, who was seen walking naked near a preschool before eventually attacking a deputy.
The 25-year-old was charged with one count of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting arrest and public exposure after the NFL player was seen walking around several buildings naked and at one point appeared to lay down in the middle of a road
McDowell’s high school football coach is now revealing that he “doesn’t remember” a single thing from his naked altercation with cops on Monday.
“He said he doesn’t remember anything,” Reggie Wynns told cleveland.com on Wednesday, just hours after McDowell was released from jail.
“He doesn’t remember nothing.”
Wynns, who coached McDowell at Southfield H.S. in Michigan, says he spoke with McDowell shortly after he was arrested following the incident with officers in Deerfield Beach, FL.
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Wynns said in their conversation, McDowell got “so emotional” over the arrest.
“I don’t know if someone laced him or what,” Wynns said. “I don’t know. That’s not him at all. All I’m hoping is that when they test him, they figure out that he had been drugged.”
According to an arrest report obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, McDowell charged at a deputy on the scene “at full speed with a closed fist” and a “violent attack” ensued. The deputy said in the report that he fought back and eventually took McDowell into custody using a Taser.
The Browns released a statement Tuesday acknowledging McDowell’s arrest.
“We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell, and are in the process of gathering more information,” the statement, via the NFL Network, said. “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.”
McDowell’s defense attorney said “apparently somebody may have slipped him something or given him something he was unaware of, which explains some of his bizarre behavior.”
