MSU football player was trying to enter bar he had been kicked out of before arrest, report says

EAST LANSING — A Michigan State University football player was trying to reenter a bar he had earlier been kicked out of after another patron noticed he had a handgun when he was arrested by police in March, according to police.

Itayvion Brown, 21, is charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a felony, and firearm possession under the influence, a misdemeanor, in connection with the March 17 incident.

The linebacker, who was also charged in the 2022 University of Michigan football tunnel incident, was kicked off the team after the East Lansing arrest, according to MSU officials.

Brown's attorney, Wade Fink of Birmingham, told the Lansing State Journal that he had just received a copy of the incident report and would be able to comment on it once he read it. The State Journal obtained the documents through a public records request.

Staff at the Fieldhouse bar in downtown East Lansing waved down two East Lansing police officers about 11:25 p.m. as they were driving past, according to incident reports. An employee working the door, police Lt. Adam Park wrote, pointed to a "tall Black male in a bright blue jacket," according to records. Park wrote that the man, Brown, attempted to wave officers away before walking west down Albert Avenue toward the Hopcat. The doorman indicated to officers that Brown had a handgun, according to the report.

Park and Sgt. Jeff Thomas followed Brown and caught up with him in front of the Hopcat in the 300 block of Grove Street.

"I grabbed on to Brown’s left arm and Sgt. Thomas grabbed on to Brown’s right arm," Park wrote. "We identified ourselves as officers and advised Brown that the bouncer informed us that he had a handgun on him. I called dispatch requesting more officers. Brown immediately tensed up but was not actively trying to pull away.

"Brown is approx. 6’ 4” 250lbs. Due to Brown’s size, Sgt. Thomas and I pinned Brown against the front fencing at Hopcat while we waited for additional officers."

Once three additional officers arrived, Park wrote that he was able to pull Brown's arm behind his back and handcuff him, but that Brown struggled to keep his right arm in front of him."

"As he struggled, a black Smith & Wesson 40 mm semi-auto handgun fell to ground from Brown’s waistline. I heard the firearm hit the ground and looked down to see it. Brown placed his foot over the weapon and continued to struggle. We were eventually able to get Brown’s (right) arm behind his back and secured it in handcuffs."

Park wrote that after he searched Brown, he could smell the "the strong scent of intoxicants coming from him."

Brown, according to the reports, was carrying a Smith & Wesson M&P 40-caliber handgun. The weapon had 12 rounds in it, but was capable of holding 13 rounds.

Another report, by Thomas, says police were alerted to Brown by bouncers who were waving flashlights. He wrote that the handcuffing of Brown "was not smooth, and Brown did put up resistance." Thomas' report also mentions that a gun fell out on the floor and Brown put his foot on it.

A manager at the Fieldhouse told police he saw a pistol in Brown’s right front pants pocket. Video obtained by police shows Brown “being kicked out the back door of the bar.” A second video shows Brown “approaching the front door trying to get back in the bar” and a third video shows him "arguing with staff trying to get back in the bar” before walking away when police arrive.

Brown's arrest was not captured on the Fieldhouse's security video.

Brown was given a blood-alcohol test, although the results of the test are redacted in the officer's reports.

Brown was arraigned April 14 in East Lansing's 54B District Court before Judge Molly Greenwalt. She set a $5,000 general bond for Brown.

Fink told the State Journal after the arraignment that he was still processing discovery evidence but "it appears there is no allegation of assaultive conduct," such as pointing a gun or threatening someone, and the case will revolve around when, where and whether Brown had a weapon.

Brown's preliminary examination on the weapons charges is scheduled for May 4.

He's also scheduled for a June 1 pretrial conference in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court, where he faces a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge for his alleged role in an Oct. 29 fight in the tunnel in Ann Arbor after the football game between MSU and the University of Michigan. Seven football players, including Brown, were charged.

An athletic department official said Brown was removed from the team in March.

“Itayvion Brown was dismissed from the Michigan State football team last month and did not participate in spring practice. Previously, he had been indefinitely suspended from team activities beginning in late February,” said Ben Phlegar, an assistant athletic director for Michigan State Athletics, said in a statement after Brown was arraigned.

Brown, a 6-foot-4, 247-pound sophomore who transferred to MSU from Minnesota before the 2021 season, had one tackle in six games last season while playing primarily on special teams.

Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Bar staff alerted police to MSU football player Itayvion Brown, gun, before arrest