Wendell Brown is Back in the USA After 3 Years in Chinese Jail (For Self Defense)
“(CLICKONDETROIT) Brown is a former Ball State University and Canadian Football League player who was coaching American football in Chongqing, China when he was arrested after a bar fight in September 2016. Brown claimed self-defense but was sentenced to four years in prison.
Brown’s sentence was reduced by one year and his official release from China was on Tuesday. He arrived at Detroit Metro Airport early Wednesday morning.
“I’m happy to be home, finally, after all these years of pain and suffering I finally get to be with my family,” he said. “I’m home and back on American soil. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years, I’ve been dreaming of this moment.”
If you’re unfamiliar with this situation I recommend reading these two blogs I wrote about Wendell over a year ago but I’ll try to give you a quick rundown here.
Wendell, a Detroit native, played linebacker for four years at Ball State. After college he briefly played in the Canadian football league before moving out to Chongqing, China to both teach American football to Chinese youth and play American football in the same league that I won a Super Bowl in (NBD). I never met him personally but many of my teammates did and by all accounts he was an incredibly friendly person who was dedicated to helping the Chinese kids he mentored both on and off the field.
However, his life in China was turned upside down on September 24th 2016. Here is what I wrote about what happened in my previous blog:
He was out celebrating his birthday at club when a some Chinese guys began insisting that he drink with them. He turned down their offer, which I assume they perceived as a loss of “face”, and began throwing bottles and trying to fight him. In the ensuing scuffle one of the Chinese guy’s eyes was seriously hurt (and later had to be removed) which he blamed on Wendell. After the fight, only Wendell was brought to jail and he hasn’t left since. Here’s the thing though, they have video footage of the fight that supports Wendell’s claim he acted in self defense, the U.S. Department of State has seen the footage and stands behind Wendell, yet the court case has been over for NINE MONTHS yet neither Brown nor his lawyers have been told when to expect a verdict. The Chinese court system has a 99% conviction rate so I’m not exactly overflowing with confidence.
When he finally got a verdict, 20 months later, the judge ruled that he did in fact act in self-defense but that he acted too aggressively and was sentenced to an additional 2 years in jail.
He ended up being released a year early but was still in a jail cell for a total of 3 years just for defending himself after being attacked on his birthday. While for the last 6 months he’s been able to talk to his Mom on the phone once a month, for the first two years in prison he wasn’t allowed to have any contact with his family. I don’t even know if there were other people in the prison who spoke english who he could talk to to pass the time. I can’t even begin to imagine how isolating that must have been. Last night was the first time in 3 years he’s been able to see any of his family members in person. Thankfully, it seems his spirit remained intact throughout this whole ordeal.
(Detroit News) At the airport Wednesday morning, Brown looked down at his cousin, Raymone Brown, 27, a lifelong wheelchair user due to cerebral palsy.
“You don’t have to cry no more,” the football player said. “We’re here.”
Asked why he was crying, Raymone said: “That’s my big cousin. He’s always been a leader. And he’s still the same. Still acts the same, same intelligence. They ain’t break him.”
He’s going to face an uphill journey getting his life back on track after spending the last 3 years in a jail cell and I’d like to send him and his family something to help make his transition back home a little smoother. If you want to help too you can shoot me a venmo (@donnie-does) with the hashtag #WelcomeHomeWendell. Even if it’s only a dollar I know they will greatly appreciate it. No man should have to 3 years of their life erased after getting jumped on their birthday but I truly believe Wendell is dedicated to staying positive and getting his life back on track.
P.S. I’m writing this from the Detroit airport, where Wendell arrived this morning, about to head back to China. If anyone tries to beat me up over there I’m just gonna curl up in a fetal position and take it so I can avoid this scenario at all costs. Guess it’s officially open season on The Wonton Don.