In 2016, former Ball State linebacker Wendell Brown was arrested in Chongqing, China, following a bar dispute, sparking questions on whether Trump would intercede to see him released. The president helped with the release of UCLA basketball players Cody Riley, LiAngelo Ball and Jalen Hill, who were arrested in China for stealing.
Brown, who previously played in the Canadian Football League, was accused of punching a Chinese man after the man threw a glass bottle at him, Michigan Radio previously reported. The American Football International Review spoke to witnesses who claim Brown retaliated only in self-defense.
“I wasn’t there at the club where it took place, but I was at the bar he came to immediately after the incident," Wendell's friend, Alexis Brown, recalled. "He told me everything that happened; how they were picking on him, and how they started off wanting to drink with him. When he was uninterested, they got upset, which is common.”
Brown's case went to trial in July 2017; he faced three to ten years in prison. Wendell's attorney maintains video shown at the trial proves his client only pushed the man in self-defense to get away from him. He also argued that at 6-foot, 225-pounds, had Wendell attacked the men, they would have suffered far more severe injuries than they suffered.
Now, according to NPR, a Chinese court has sentenced Brown to four years in prison on assault charges.
“I still can’t believe this,” his mother, Antoinette Brown, said according to Yahoo Sports. She worries how this will affect the former football star's 10-year-old son who lives in Florida.
Despite making pleas to Trump at the time of Wendell's arrest, the White House hasn't officially responded to the family. It is unknown whether Wendell will have to serve his entire sentence.
“Wendell has been subjected to blatant discrimination, his human rights have been violated,” Antoinette said, who plans to continue fighting for her son. “Prosecuting an innocent man with no evidence is a grave injustice.”
Now, check these out:
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