Naked NFL star arrested after ‘attacking police officer’ (VIDEO)
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell was also booked for public exposure and resisting arrest
NFL star Malik McDowell has been arrested in Florida after allegedly attacking a police officer and exposing himself in public.
The incident occurred in the town of Deerfield Beach, around 25 miles from Fort Lauderdale, on Monday.
According to reports, the defensive tackle was allegedly strolling naked near a student learning center and entered the property in a state of undress.
Before he was apprehended with the use of a taser, the 25-year-old carried out a "violent attack" on a deputy, who said that McDowell "charged at me... at full speed with [a] closed fist" and left him "dazed".
In footage obtained by TMZ and circulated online, McDowell is shown walking naked down the street with the narrator of the clip filming him saying: "He’s about to get tased right now. They tased him, bro."
At one point, the Michigan State graduate drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 can also be seen writhing on the ground in handcuffs as around half a dozen officers surround him.
Resisting his position, the 6ft 6in star also appears to be kicked by one of them in order to stay put.
The video has been released from Malik McDowell's arrest and it's not pretty.
— Heavy on Browns (@HeavyOnBrowns) January 18, 2022
(Video via @TMZ_Sports) pic.twitter.com/qiI79Apzj3
"Apparently somebody may have slipped him something or given him something he was unaware of, which explains some of his bizarre behavior," said McDowell’s defense attorney reacting to the development.
Yet this isn't his client's first brush with the law. In 2017, McDowell was hit with a DUI charge in Michigan and booked for disorderly conduct for a fracas at an Atlanta nightclub. T
In November 2019, McDowell was sentenced to 11 months in jail for a string of crimes such as assault, resisting arrest, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The judge ordered him to write essays from 750-1,000 words on topics such as trying to find the meaning in life as opposed to committing crimes, respecting the law and property rights, and considering how his behavior undermined the principles of the US Declaration of Independence.
Previously failing to play a single down in the NFL due to legal issues and injuries until the Browns signed him last May, McDowell appeared to have turned a corner by appearing in 15 games in the 2021 season where he recorded three sacks and 19 tackles.
His fresh woes will not help his plight as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and the Browns, who had him on their roster on a one-year contract, released a statement to address the "very concerning incident" while 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," added the franchise.