Davone Bess arrest reveals receiver’s troubled world

MIAMI – The police report detailing Davone Bess’ alleged assault of a deputy at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday depicts an unstable, violent man, likely on drugs.

It’s the same condition in which authorities discovered Bess, the former Dolphins receiver, in his Cooper City home 10 months earlier – and the reason his family had him hospitalized against his will.

Six Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were needed that night to restrain Bess, who was screaming, “Hide the guns!” “Where is my weed?” and “I want to get in the end zone; throw me the football!” according to the incident report.

Word of Bess’ prior meltdown was never made public until now.

Bess, 28, already had drawn scrutiny in recent days for two pictures of what appears to be marijuana that he posted on Twitter.

Then on Friday, his problems worsened. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him at the airport, charging him with assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence.

CBS-4 Miami caught up with Bess, who later bonded out of jail, and asked what he plans to do next.

“Get back to helping kids all over the world,” said Bess, the Miami Dolphins’ 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year, an award that honors players for their work away from the field.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported late Friday that Bess has been dealing with personal issues for some time, including insomnia, and was trying to catch a flight home to seek help.

That jibes with the police report from March 11, 2013, unearthed by The Miami Herald.

On that night, BSO was called to Bess’ Cooper City home. When the first deputy arrived, he noted a strong smell of cannabis. The deputy also observed several males trying to restrain an agitated, incoherent Bess, who was trying to throw them off. He started screaming about guns and drugs and football. Efforts by fire rescue to sedate him were unsuccessful.

Finally, a half-dozen cops were able to pin him down. Bess was taken to Memorial East Hospital for observation.

Bess was once hailed as a true redemption story. Raised in a rough part of Oakland, he witnessed the murder of his uncle at age 10.

Years later, he was sent to juvenile detention for his role in a theft and lost his scholarship to Oregon State. He straightened out his life, and went on to star at the University of Hawaii.

The Dolphins took a chance on him as an undrafted rookie out of college, and he went on to catch 321 passes in his five years with the team.

In late 2012, he and the coaching staff had a falling out, and the Dolphins ultimately traded him to the Browns during draft weekend in 2013. Since then, his behavior has grown erratic.

For the time being at least, the Browns are stuck with Bess. League rules prohibit teams from cutting players until the day after the Super Bowl.