Maryland’s RB Charged with Theft, Assault and Wiretapping; Suspended from the University
ByWes Brown, a freshman at the University of Maryland and one of the school's top running backs, has been arrested and charged with theft of a device, second-degree assault on a police officer and illegal wiretapping. The university has suspended Brown and he will not be allowed to participate in any athletic activities.
On Wednesday night, when campus police and Baltimore detectives tried to question him in an open non-fatal shooting investigation from June, he allegedly assaulted an officer, shoved him with two hands and ran away
Brown "is a person of interest in an open non-fatal shooting investigation from last month. Detectives were conducting a follow up investigation and contacted the local police jurisdiction for assistance in locating Mr. Brown," Baltimore police said.
The wiretapping charges were slapped on him after Brown used a stolen smartphone camera, hidden in his pocket to secretly record the audio of his conversation with the police without the officer's knowledge.
The officers termed the wrongdoing as, 'an unlawful interception of oral communication.' According to a department spokesman, individuals are allowed to record officers but they must be open about it right from the beginning.
According to University of Maryland police spokesman Aaron Davis, Brown actually borrowed the phone from 'an acquaintance,' but when he did not return the device, the original owner approached the police. Therefore, Brown was ultimately charged with theft of less than $1,000.
Brown finished the last season as Terrapins' second-leading rusher with 382 yards on 90 carries and two rushing touchdowns.
He was released Friday evening and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31 in Prince George's County.