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Davone Bess was a disappointment for the Browns in 2013.

(Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

BEREA, Ohio – It turns out Davone Bess had a history of confrontation and irrational behavior in police presence before his arrest Friday at a Florida airport.

The Miami Herald reported Friday night authorities were summoned to Bess' south Florida home 10 months ago when it took six officers to restrain the then-Miami Dolphins receiver. Alarmed by his violent and bizarre conduct, his family reportedly had Bess hospitalized against his will.

The incident occurred less than two months before the Browns traded for the veteran receiver, who left the team late during the 2013 season for what the organization deemed personal reasons. A league source told the Northeast Ohio Media Group on Thursday the Browns were very worried about Bess' well being in the days before they placed him on the non-football/reserve list on Dec. 21.

But the revelation of the March altercation with police calls into question whether the Browns were aware of the police document and opted to consummate the April 27 deal anyway. It involved swapping middle-round picks and also awarding Bess a contract extension through 2016. The Browns did not immediately respond to an NEOMG call seeking comment Friday night.

Even if they didn’t know of the report, some will wonder whether the organization thoroughly researched Bess before making him the club’s major offensive acquisition of the off-season. The Dolphins are not required to share such information while negotiating a trade. A league source told NEOMG the Dolphins were not surprised by Friday’s arrest or Bess’ recent behavior.

The 28-year-old was supposed to lend a veteran presence to the receiving corps and serve as a mentor for Josh Gordon, who has a history of drug-related problems. The fallout could have serious implications for an embattled front office that’s conducting its second head-coaching search in two years.

On Friday morning, a Browns spokesman did say the team was aware of Bess' arrest at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport stemming from charges of assaulting an office, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The sixth-year veteran appeared to be "under the influence of an unknown narcotic," according to a police report. An officer working a TSA detail approached Bess in the airport concourse after several passengers pointed out he was "acting irrationally, dancing, singing with his pants repeatedly falling down." The report also stated Bess took a fighting stance on two occasions before back-up officers arrived and he surrendered without further incident.

The arrest came a day after Bess made headlines for his controversial social-media posts, which included photos of what appeared to be marijuana.

What few knew until Friday is Bess had a similar meltdown with police in March. Broward County Sheriff’s officers were summoned to his Cooper City, Fla., house where a strong smell of cannabis came from the master bedroom, according to an incident report.

Several men were trying to restrain Bess as he was screaming, “Hide the guns. Where is my weed," and "I want to get in the end zone; throw me the football."

A half dozen officers eventually subdued Bess and he was Marchman Acted – or hospitalized without his consent.

Earlier in the day, Bess' mother, Chinell Carpenter, flew from California after receiving a call that her son was not acting like himself, the Herald reported. She said then that Bess had not slept in three days and was going through some serious personal issues.

The description of Bess is consistent with an earlier NEOMG report. A source told the website that Bess had difficulty focusing and sleeping this season. He had grown so depressed by his effort – Bess recorded season-lows in catches and yardage – that he “mentally checked out” in his final days with the team.

Given Bess’ recent conduct and the Friday arrest, it would not be hard to imagine the Browns releasing him in the coming weeks and trying to recoup some of the guaranteed money in his contract. Non-playoff teams cannot waive players until Feb. 3, the day after the Super Bowl.

Reporter Mary Kay Cabot contributed to this report.