(WXYZ) — A Detroit man who served three years in a Chinese prison made his way home today.
Former all-star college football player Wendell Brown was sentenced to prison after a bar fight, in which he says he was just trying to defend himself.
The former Ball State football star was teaching football in China back in 2016.
He got into a bar fight and was arrested. He claimed self defense, but was sentenced to four years in prison.
We are told through campaigning efforts from his family, and the U.S. state department working with China, Brown was released a year early.
He arrived at Detroit Metro Airport Wednesday morning and was reunited with his friends and family.
"It was just so good seeing him, being able to hug him," said Antoinette Brown, Wendell's mother. "I just couldn't let go, I said, 'I hope I don't break him.'"
Wendell has been imprisoned since 2016 after a bar fight. Brown claimed self-defense but was sentenced to four years in prison. He was in China coaching American football. Here is a story we did on Brown when he was sentenced https://t.co/1TzJLK3CH0 @wxyzdetroit @wxyzdetroit https://t.co/heZPhHS20v
— Ali Hoxie (@ali_hoxie) September 25, 2019
Wendell said he's still not sure what his next move is. At this point, he just wants to be with family to make up for lost time.
