Video of the arrest of former University of Toledo football and NFL player Desmond Marrow in McDonough, Ga., went viral on social media Thursday because of the violent nature of the arrest by Henry County Police.
Marrow, who played cornerback at Toledo from 2006-11 before a short stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, posted the video to his Facebook and Instagram pages showing him being slammed to the ground by the police despite pleas he did nothing wrong.
WATCH: Footage shows former UT football player arrested
“I had No type of weapon in my possession,” Marrow wrote in his Facebook post. “I was arrested for having a Gun that turned out to be my Cell Phone. During the arrest the police knocked my teeth out, slammed me on my head and choked me out until I was unconscious. In addition I suffered a shoulder strain and a concussion along with the heartache of my Wife leaving me during this Very Hard time for my short comings and careless actions. This has affected me mentally and impacted my life in a way I can’t even humanly describe. This isn’t a cry for sympathy, I just need it to be known … My cry is for JUSTICE.”
According to a police report of the incident obtained by Heavy.com, Marrow was charged with making terroristic threats, reckless driving, and aggressive driving. The date of the incident being reported is December 2, 2017, and it occurred in a Target parking lot.
The police report says an officer listed as D. Rose received a call from dispatch about a moving traffic dispute which had caused a “physical altercation” at Target.
According to the report, Marrow said while driving in the area, someone in a dark sedan tossed a cup of coffee at his car. Marrow said he chased the car and wanted to have a conversation with the white male driver and the white male passenger.
Rose and the other officers on scene decided to arrest Marrow after witnesses said Marrow “made a threat to kill the victims.”
Once the officers decided to arrest Marrow, Rose said he was concerned Marrow was trying to head-butt the officers so he put his hand on Marrow’s neck and held him down.
Rose wrote in the report that he took photos of Marrow’s left knee and left shoulder after the arrest and they showed abrasions, but Marrow covered his face and “strongly objected to me taking pictures of his face.”
First Published April 27, 2018, 6:18 p.m.