Posted on 12/22/2017 11:40:25 AM PST by Eddie01
DETROIT — A little over six weeks ago, UCLA basketball players LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley were arrested in China for shoplifting, setting off an international incident.
With considerable politicking, they were quickly released from detention to their luxury hotel
[snip]
Except to Wendell Brown, and other Americans like him, who still sit in Chinese jails awaiting even a verdict or resolution of their cases.
[snip]
Wendell Brown, 31, played football at Detroit King High School, Ball State and in the CFL. In 2015, he moved to Chongqing, China, to coach in an American football league, teach English and operate his own fitness company.
On September 24, 2016, he attended a friend’s birthday party at a bar. As Brown’s side tells it, a group of locals asked Brown to have a drink with them. African-Americans, especially muscular, 6-foot, 225-pound African-Americans, stand out in Chongqing. Brown declined. They took it as a sign of disrespect and began hurling bottles at him. Brown was arrested for hitting a man. He asserts he never threw a punch and merely raised his arms to block the bottles being thrown at him.
[snip]
A trial was held in July 2017 with the courtroom packed with Chinese supporters of Brown.
[snip]
...according to Wendell’s Chinese friends (his family couldn’t afford to attend), his innocence was proven.
The judge, however, has yet to render a verdict, meaning Wendell Brown has spent five months just awaiting word on his guilt or innocence.
Juxtaposed with the UCLA players, his case became a rallying cry last month.
[snip]
Trump has not gotten involved the way he did for LaVar Ball’s kid.
[snip]
She worries that LaVar Ball’s reaction to his help may have turned him off on the idea of aiding athletes jailed in China.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
Trump's team is working to get others held in foreign countries released, the Ball deal was once in a lifetime.
Wendell's family thinks loud mouth Lavar Ball may be the reason Trump won't step in. Doubt it and don't point the finger at Trump.
If your ever offered a drink in China you don't want, you can politely decline by saying your allergic.
The ucla guys were lucky the resident was in Red China when they got caught.
Were it for him, they’d still be in a bamboo hoosegow.
President!
I have no sympathy for any American who strays into communist or Muslim countries; they really need more situational awareness (but that might require reading).
No tears shed from this end of the couch, either.
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