Browns’ Mcdowell arrested for public exposure, assaulting deputy
Browns defensive tackle Malik Mcdowell, 25, was arrested Monday on charges of exposing himself in public, resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to court records.
The arrest means Mcdowell's time in Cleveland will almost certainly end March 16, when his one-year contract with the Browns officially expires — if not before.
“We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik Mcdowell and are in the process of gathering more information,” a Browns spokesperson said Tuesday. “We understand the severity of this matter, and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved.”
An officer whose name was redacted from the arrest report stated he responded Monday to a call about a naked man walking near a school. The officer wrote Mcdowell had been “walking around the street naked exposing his sexual organs in view of the public.”
The officer wrote that when he arrived at the scene, he saw Mcdowell sitting on a curb. As the officer approached, Mcdowell charged “at full speed” and “began swinging closed fist punches,” at least one strike connecting with the officer's right eye and temple area.
“I was dazed and felt extreme pain in the area I was struck,” the officer wrote.
The officer further stated that when he tried to grab the 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman and take him to the ground, Mcdowell slipped away and fled on foot.
Mcdowell, according to the report, was tasered after a short pursuit, then handcuffed and taken into custody.
It was not Mcdowell's first brush with the law.
Drafted early in the second round (35th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks out of Michigan State University in 2017, Mcdowell suffered serious head injuries in an ATV accident in July of that year and subsequently committed a series of crimes to which he eventually pleaded guilty.
Three of his arrests involved alcohol, including one during which he assaulted a police officer at a gas station. Another arrest stemmed from him possessing a stolen truck. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail and three years of probation in 2019.
Despite Mcdowell being out of football for four years, the Browns researched him and ultimately gave him a shot to resurrect his career by signing him this past May.
Mcdowell started 14 of the 15 games in which he appeared during the 2021 season and compiled 33 tackles, three sacks and five quarterback hits.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.