Former King football standout needs help with release from a China jail
DETROIT - Locking up running backs on the field was what Wendell Brown loved to do. He never saw himself being locked up in jail. The 30-year-old Detroit native is in a Chongqing, China jail on assault charges, stemming from an incident on September 24, 2016.
Brown was coaching football over in China with the Chongqing Dockers, and was enjoying a night out with some friends, when according to witnesses, he was provoked by a group of locals who were upset that Brown would not party with them. One of the men escalated the incident by throwing a glass bottle at Brown, who retaliated out of self-defense. The local police were contacted following the altercation, to which Brown was the only one arrested. He has been in jail ever since.
"I wasn't there at the club where it took place, but I was at the bar he came to immediately after the incident," said Alexis Andrews, a friend of Brown's, who is still over in China. "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 played his high school football at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, where he was an all-state player at linebacker in 2004. He went on to play at Ball State, where he received bachelor's degree. He has played semi-pro football all over the world, and was dedicated to teaching the game he loved, not only overseas, but also at home, in little league, and at his former high school.
He was able to write a letter home to his family, which was dated March 1, 2017:
"To all my family whom I love throughout the continents of Asia, Europe, and North America: honor, praise, and glory to the most high (yah?) , through Yahshua Messiah for blessing me with such a beautiful band of people whom I can lean on in order to regain both focus and strength. I thank you for all that you are doing for me while I fight the toughest fight of my life! I know this battle is not physical, but spiritual, and I also know I'm not just fighting for myself and my family, but a multitude of people, and I'm more than grateful because you all have extended yourselves to be my crutch! Again, I thank you! I miss y'all so much. What keeps me encouraged are all the memories we've been blessed to share with each other. The thought of us building more, and those that are even more beautiful got me fist pumping, like Arsenio! For real, I'm excited! But, some days I wake up and look around like wtf bro, you really in jail! And in China! And, no, Wendell didn't go to China and try to turn thug! But being in here, in isolation, away from those I care for and who care for me, I think of all (0f) life's luxuries that, to us, may not even be considered a luxury, like lotion, a comb, hot showers, a toilet, going outside, or even seeing and being around smiles and eyes that you know are pure and have no deceit behind them! I think of so may things I've been blessed with my whole life that I've simply taken for granted. I've also been thinking about my life and where it's been, where it's heading, what mark do I truly want to leave, what defines me, what will the legacy of Wendell Brown Sr., actually be? And plainly, I just want to give; I want to give all things to my people. I want to give love, life, laughter, opportunity, experience and so much more! And when I say my people, I don't just speak of my family and friends, but all children! All those I've encountered in my travels around the world, along with fulfilling my destiny, and life's purpose, are two things I often pray for! I just want the right, you know? I don't want to miss it or come up short, but (yah?) willing, I won't. I know I won't! Hallellyah. I think of those in the bible who stood firm in their faith, and what came to be of them after their test. Since I know his ways, (his) thoughts are higher than mine. I know the road ahead is full of blessings, and not just for me, but for us! Halleluyah! And because I know the most high possesses so much power, and I know his spirit is living within out physical being, I'm convinced we are already victorious, and in more ways than one! Halleluyah! I want to say so much more, but this letter is already pushing it. So again, thank you to all of you! Please continue to pray and send me your positive energy, and I will continue to do the same for you in return! I love you all to life! Grace, peace, prosperity, love, and abundance of blessings in the name of the most high God! Deuce, yo daddy loves you!"
He was apparently apart of a YouTube web-series called "Black in China", where he was playing and teaching football, teaching English, and served as a personal trainer in China. Brown also has a 10-year-old son here in Detroit that he would love to come home to. His family has set up a GoFundMe account to help assist in his legal fees. It is unclear why Brown is still in jail after seven months, and when his next court date is.
GoFundMe account: https://www.gofundme.com/help-return-wendell-home