Maryland RB Wes Brown Arrested

October 6, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins running back Wes Brown (4) gains yardage against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Byrd Stadium. Maryland beat Wake Forest 19-14. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Friend of the site Pete Volk broke news via TestudoTimes.com that Maryland Terrapins running back Wes Brown was arrested on a litany of potentially serious charges. Included in the rap sheet are second-degree assault on a police officer and illegal wiretapping.

A representative from the University of Maryland campus police department said Baltimore police were searching for Brown on an unspecified matter, though Volk reports it may concern a non-fatal shooting. The sophomore-to-be Brown alleged assaulted a Baltimore officer before running away.

These are serious charges, particularly the wiretapping accusation as it pertains to Maryland state law. Wiretapping is a felony under the state’s Wiretap Act, which is one of the most strict illegal surveillance laws in the country.

Head coach Randy Edsall and the UM athletic department do not appear to be taking the running back’s arrest lightly. Brown is suspended indefinitely, the university announced via a press release issued on Friday.

Brown’s absence from the roster complicates an already murky offensive outlook for the Terps.

UM finished 2012 on a six-game losing streak, plummeting from 4-2 to a final record of 4-8, due in large part to offensive struggles down the stretch. The Terrapins reached 20 points or more just once in that stretch, and finished the season ahead of only Boston College and Wake Forest in points per game.

Brown showed promise in his freshman campaign, rushing for 382 yards on 90 carries with two touchdowns. His workload started to pick up, with 48 of his total rushes coming in ACC match-ups against NC State and Boston College, but a knee injury sidelined him for Maryland’s final three games.