Ex Spartan Malik McDowell fights Lathrup Village officer in wild video
LATHRUP VILLAGE, Mich. - Video released to FOX 2 shows former Michigan State Spartan Malik McDowell fighting with a Lathrup Village police officer and even pulling out prongs when he was Tased.
The 6'6", 300-pound defensive tackle was pulled over in February for suspected drunk driving. An officer said he witnessed McDowell's Jeep spinning out on the snowy road and said he was speeding.
WATCH THE video in the player above. WARNING: Adult language used throughout the video
During the stop, which happened in front of the Marathon Gas Station at 12 Mile and Southfield, McDowell appears to be stumbling and the officer can be heard telling him to stay in his car. McDowell got back in his car and, when the officer asked for his license and registration, he immediately asked for a supervisor.
The officer told McDowell he was going 60 MPH on the snowy Southfield Road, which has a posted speed limit of 40 in normal conditions. McDowell again asked for his supervisor, to which the officer gave him more chances to turn over his license.
The two men argued back and forth and McDowell asked him why he was pulled over. The officer again explain why he stopped him. They continued to argue and McDowell, who stood a full foot over the officer, got out and started to walk into the store.
The officer tried to get him to put his hands behind his back as the two men went into the Marathon. The officer threatened to Tase him and told him to get down on his stomach.
McDowell ignored the officer who told him several times to get down or he would get Tased. When the officer tried to Tase him, he missed, according to the police report. However, the video shows McDowell pulling prongs from his chest and getting to his feet and lunging at the officer's Taser as it was still firing.
The two men wrestled for the Taser as McDowell continued to ask for a supervisor. Store displays were knocked over as the officer took McDowell to the ground.
As the second officer arrived, McDowell appears to reach for the officer's handgun but she was able to pull away. The two officers together arrested McDowell as more officers came in to the store.
Through it all, McDowell continued to ask for a supervisor, even after his hands were cuffed behind his back.
As he was being led to the police car, McDowell could be heard saying "I'm gonna get rich off of this".
According to the police report, McDowell had a BAC of .18, just shy of being super drunk in Michigan.
McDowell was charged with multiple crimes including driving with a suspended license, OWI - second offense, and two charges of assault/resisting a police officer.
McDowell left Michigan State a year early to enter the NFL draft. He was a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 but never played a game. He suffered serious injuries in an ATV accident before the start of training camp his rookie season.
The former football player's lawyer said that McDowell was hoping to get drafted by another team, however he's concerned about the impact the video could have on his chances.
"What you see in the video isn't exactly - I guess for lack of a better term, isn't what happened," said Mitchell Ribitwer. "There were things that led up to what occurred inside the gas station that are mitigating for Mr. McDowell."
He was named to The Associated Press All-Big Ten team in 2016, his junior year. As a sophomore, he helped Michigan State win the Big Ten title and advance to the College Football Playoff.
FOX 2 obtained the video from Lathrup Village via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. TMZ was the first to report the video.