Cowboys' Brent charged after teammate dies in car crash

Brown, here in a Colts jersey when the season opened, signed with Dallas in October. (AP)

IRVING, Texas -- Police charged Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent with intoxication manslaughter Saturday after he flipped his car in a pre-dawn accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown.

Irving police spokesman John Argumaniz said the accident happened about 2:20 a.m. Saturday in the Dallas suburb, hours before Brent was to be on a team flight to Cincinnati for the Cowboys' game Sunday against the Bengals.

Argumaniz said the 25-year-old Brown -- a practice-squad linebacker who also was Brent's teammate at the University of Illinois for three seasons -- was found unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead at a hospital.

It marked the second straight week the NFL found itself dealing with a tragedy right before gameday.

Last Saturday, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend before killing himself in front of his coach and general manager. The 25-year-old Belcher shot himself in the parking lot at the team's practice complex at Arrowhead Stadium.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."

Officers conducted a field sobriety test on Brent and arrested him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, Argumaniz said. The charge, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison, was upgraded after Brown was pronounced dead.

Argumaniz said Brent, who pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge three years ago at Illinois, was being held without bond. Brent is named as Joshua Price-Brent in the police news release. Argumaniz said Brent missed a 10 a.m. Saturday booking session with a judge because he was intoxicated. He did not know if Brent had an attorney.

Said Brent late Saturday night through his agent Peter Schaffer: "I am devastated and filled with grief. Filled with grief for the loss of my close friend and teammate, Jerry Brown. I am also grief-stricken for his family, friends and all who were blessed enough to have known him. I will live with this horrific and tragic loss every day for the rest of my life. My prayers are with his family, our teammates and his friends at this time."

Brent was speeding when the vehicle hit a curb and flipped at least once, Argumaniz said. Police received 911 calls from motorists who saw the upside-down vehicle but they did not immediately have any eyewitnesses to the wreck, the police spokesman said.

Argumaniz said when officers arrived at the scene on a state highway service road, Brent was dragging Brown from the vehicle, a Mercedes, which was on fire. Officers quickly put out the small blaze, he said.

Argumaniz said it wasn't known how fast the vehicle was traveling. The road has a 45 mph limit.

"I can say investigators are certain they were traveling well above the posted speed limit," Argumaniz said.

Before he was taken to the jail, Brent went to a hospital for a blood draw for alcohol testing and also received treatment for some minor scrapes.

Argumaniz said Brent identified himself to officers as a Cowboys player.

Cowboys players were aware of the accident Saturday morning, and coach Jason Garrett told the team about Brown's death on the plane about 1:15 p.m. after asking other personnel to step off the aircraft, team spokesman Rich Dalrymple said.

The flight was "quiet, more than normal," Dalrymple said.

Former Illinois coach Ron Zook said Brent, a third-year player who made the first start of his career in the opener against the New York Giants, was trying to help Brown make it in the NFL. Brown joined the Cowboys in October after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts.

"It was Jerry's dream, and Josh was trying to help him any way he could," Zook said.

Zook said he spoke with Brent's agent, Peter Schaffer, who said he had made contact with Brent.

"He said Josh was distraught, and he didn't care about himself or what was happening to him," Zook said. "All he cared about was Jerry's family."

Brent was arrested in February 2009 near the Illinois campus for driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license and speeding, according to Champaign County, Ill., court records.

In June 2009, Brent pleaded guilty to DUI and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a fine of about $2,000. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped one count of aggravated DUI/no valid driver's license. Brent successfully completed his probation in July 2011, court records show.

Brent, a nose guard, has played in all 12 games this season and played a bigger role than expected with starter Jay Ratliff battling injuries. He has 35 tackles and 1? sacks and might have started Sunday against the Bengals because Ratliff is out with a groin injury.

The Cowboys signed Brown to their practice squad Oct. 24, but he hasn't been on the active roster. He was released from the Colts' practice squad Oct. 20. Brown played in one game for the Colts, a loss to the New York Jets on Oct. 14.

"On behalf of the entire Colts family, our sincerest condolences go out to Jerry's family and friends," Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said in a statement. "He was a good teammate that was well liked by all. Today's tragic news is just another reminder of how fragile life is and how everyday given is a gift."

Brent and Brown played at Illinois from 2007 to 2009. Brent played as a freshman and finished his career with 71 tackles and five sacks. Shortly after his guilty plea on the DUI charge, Brent entered the supplemental draft with a year of eligibility remaining, and the Cowboys took him in the seventh round.

Brown, who took a redshirt season at Illinois the year before Brent arrived, had 13 tackles combined in 2007 and 2008 but didn't play in 2009.

"I can't believe it," Travon Bellamy, a former Illinois teammate, wrote on Twitter. "Before people pass judgment on Josh, they need to know that he is a good person that made a bad mistake."

Brown played for San Antonio in the Arena Football League this year. In 2011, he played for Jacksonville in the AFL and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.

He was born and grew up in St. Louis, attending Vashon High School.

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Brother of Vernon, Vontae Davis charged with murder in D.C. killing

WASHINGTON -- The younger brother of San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis has been charged with murder in the death of a man visiting the nation's capital from Colorado.

D.C. police say 19-year-old Michael Davis was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder while armed in the death of 66-year-old Gary Dederichs of Denver. Davis was previously arrested in connection with two assault cases and was being held in jail at the time of his arrest.

Police say they were called on April 24 to the city's Petworth area for the report of an unconscious person. Officers found a man suffering from head trauma and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Packers OLB Walden charged with midemeanor

Outside linebacker Erik Walden still has some off-field matters ahead of him as the regular season winds down.

He was charged Wednesday on a misdemeanor of disorderly conduct-domestic abuse in Brown County (Wis.) Circuit Court in Green Bay, stemming from a domestic dispute with his live-in girlfriend at their apartment Nov. 25. Walden, a fourth-year player, didn't have to appear in court and had his attorney enter a not guilty plea.

Walden faces a lesser charge after he originally was being investigated for felony domestic violence-substantial battery following his arrest for the alleged incident that took place the morning after the Packers' Thanksgiving win at the Detroit Lions.

Walden spent the rest of the holiday weekend in jail since the court was closed. He remains free on bond and has another court hearing scheduled for Dec. 27, two days after Green Bay hosts the Chicago Bears on Christmas night.

If convicted, Walden would face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that Walden will be in the starting lineup Sunday, when the 12-0 Packers play the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field.

"We're watching his situation, both the legal process and the league process," McCarthy said. "His status hasn't changed."

Since Walden has been charged with a crime, discipline imposed by the NFL office is a possibility, though McCarthy didn't have knowledge of how soon a decision could be made.

"It's obviously not closed," McCarthy said. "It's an open situation, and we're respecting the process."

Walden has started every game this season and is tied for third on the team with three sacks.

"We're supporting Erik as best we can," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "He's been visible, he's been back here, he's apologized to the team (last week) for being a distraction, and we're going to let him handle the situation. Guys have surrounded him and helped support him, and he knows if he needs anything else to just ask. For us and our preparations, it's a non-issue."

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Canadian doctor charged with smuggling drugs set for hearing

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A high-profile Canadian sports doctor charged last year with smuggling unapproved drugs into the United States to treat professional athletes is due in federal court in Buffalo next week for a hearing on a possible plea agreement.

Dr. Anthony Galea is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara on Wednesday. The court docket lists the proceeding as an arraignment and plea agreement hearing.

Calls to Galea's attorneys and prosecutors weren't immediately returned Friday.

The Toronto doctor was indicted by a federal grand jury in October, but has not yet entered a plea. The five-count indictment alleges he smuggled in human growth hormone and other substances and conspired and lied to border agents to avoid getting caught. He faces similar charges in Canada.

Galea, who is not authorized to work in the United States, is accused of treating 20 professional athletes at their homes, hotels and friends' houses from October 2007 to September 2009, including giving them free Viagra if they asked.

The indictment did not identify any clients, which prosecutors said included professional baseball and football players and others. A plea deal would eliminate the need for a trial, along with the likelihood that evidence and witness statements could publicly reveal information about who he visited or billed.

Tiger Woods has said he's been treated by Galea, but did not receive performance-enhancing drugs. The New York Mets' Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran also have acknowledged talking to federal authorities during the investigation. The New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez told Major League Baseball officials that he didn't receive performance-enhancing drugs from Galea after the doctor told the Associated Press he had prescribed anti-inflammatories for him.

The government alleged some athletes received injections of HGH, banned by major sports, and Actovegin, a derivative of calf's blood not approved for use in the United States, as well as intravenous Actovegin drips and platelet-rich plasma therapy, a treatment used to speed healing that involves extracting blood from patients and re-injecting just the plasma.

Authorities began investigating Galea after the arrest of his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, as she entered the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo in September 2009. She is scheduled to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to a single count of lying to border agents. As part of her plea, she's been cooperating in the investigation.

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