SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Shocking video of Southfield-native and NFL hopeful Malik McDowell fighting with a metro Detroit police officer at a Lathrup Village gas station earlier this year has been released.
The former Michigan State player was pulled over on Feb. 18 on suspicion of drunk driving on a snowy February evening. The video shows McDowell refusing to hand over his license to Lathrup Village officer Keith Roberts, and instead, insisting on speaking with his supervisor.
McDowell then enters the gas station, scuffles with Roberts and is eventually shot with a Taser gun after he is repeatedly asked to lie down on the floor.
Seemingly unfazed by the Taser, the 6 foot, 6 inch tall, 300-pound defensive tackle then attacks Roberts inside the gas station on 12 Mile and Southfield roads.
Reviewing the Lathrup Village police report on the Feb. arrest of Malik
— Brian Abel (@BrianAbelTV) July 9, 2019
McDowell.
He was arrested on Assault/Obstruction/Drunk Driving charges.
BAC was .189 according to forensics report.
.17 is considered “Superdrunk” in Michigan.
Officer’s statement is here also. pic.twitter.com/cxrnWHARBy
Only after several other officers come to the rescue is McDowell handcuffed and arrested. The police report obtained by 7 Action News shows McDowell had a blood alcohol level of .189, just over the super drunk threshold in Michigan.
However, those aren't the only legal troubles McDowell is facing. He's also facing charges in connection with a stolen Ford pickup truck. He told police he didn't know it was stolen and paid $3,000 for it. Both cases are set for trial.
The 23-year-old was charged with assault and resisting arrest, a felony punishable by up to two years in prison; obstructing justice, operating while intoxicated and driving on a suspended license.
McDowell’s career with the NFL ended in 2017 after he suffered a head injury in an ATV accident. In May of 2019, the Seattle Seahawks filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Michigan seeking repayment of a nearly $800,000 of the signing bonus given the former draft pick, claiming he violated his NFL contract.
McDowell was a second-round pick of the Seahawks in 2017, but never played a snap for Seattle after suffering serious injuries in the ATV accident prior to the start of training camp before his rookie season.
The Southfield High School graduate played for Michigan State and is now a free agent.
