TMZ released a video on July 9 of former football player Malik McDowell fighting with an officer in a Michigan convenience store after he was pulled over for speeding.
In February, McDowell was pulled over by a Lathrup Village officer at a gas station for speeding after the officer witnessed McDowell’s car spinning out of control on the icy road.
The officer asked for McDowell’s license and registration, which he refused to provide. Instead, McDowell kept saying he wanted to see the officer’s supervisor.
The officer commanded McDowell to stay put in his car while the officer called for help, but McDowell neglected the order and got out of the car, making his way towards the gas station’s convenience store.
The surveillance footage in the store shows the 6’6″ McDowell walking into the convenience store, dragging an officer half his size along with him. During the melee that followed, many food shelves are knocked over and merchandise spills on the floor.
At one moment, the officer grabs his taser and repeatedly orders McDowell to lay down on the ground.
McDowell refuses, and the officer tases him. However, the former football player appears unaffected, and he attacks the officer again, and another unequal wrestling match ensues.
Video shows Malik McDowell fighting cop https://t.co/cXVgOszDYw
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 9, 2019
Next, a female officer comes to help. The video at one point shows McDowell reaching for the gun of the female officer, while she is trying to control his arm.
Eventually, five police officers were needed to handcuff the 300-pound defensive tackle, who kept asking for “a supervisor,” and they dragged McDowell off to the local police station.
The police reports, obtained by TMZ, state that McDowell “had a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from his persons,” though it doesn’t specify which intoxicants that referred to.
McDowell faces charges of two counts of felony assaulting and resisting, one misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated, and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license, according to NBC Sports.
McDowell also had a drunken driving conviction out of Royal Oak, dating back to February 2018.
On top of that, in a different case, McDowell was charged in April for concealing a stolen truck, and possibly truck theft. He could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine in that incident, according to the Detroit News.
McDowell hasn’t played football since 2016 when he played for Michigan State. In 2017 he was selected in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft as 35th overall and would have made his NFL debut for the Seattle Seahawks the next season.
However, in July 2017 he was injured in an ATV accident and never played for the Seahawks, becoming the highest drafted player to never play a single NFL match in the team’s history, according to the Seattle Times.
Malik McDowell’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said today the Seahawks were “exhaustive” in their attempts to medically clear Malik McDowell but ultimately didn’t feel comfortable that he could play again: https://t.co/4LA6lLGWMZ
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) March 25, 2019
The Seahawks waived McDowell on March 2, this year after Seahawks medical staff had concerns about his health. Since then his career and personal life have suffered. McDowell, who is now a free agent, had a visit with the Dallas Cowboys in March, but it has not led to a contract so far.
McDowell was arraigned in May and will face trial this month.
Seahawks meanwhile has sued McDowell in federal court for $799,238 in signing bonus money after claiming the player violated his contract.
