Timberwolves player Malik Beasley, wife face felony charges

A Minnesota Timberwolves player faces two felony charges following a late-September incident. His wife also faces a felony drug possession charge, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

Malik Beasley, 23, of Plymouth, was charged with felony threats of violence and fifth-degree drug possession. His wife, 23-year-old Montana Yao of Plymouth, faces the same fifth-degree drug possession charge. Both Beasley and Yao were charged by summons. Beasley will make his first court appearance November 19. Yao’s first appearance is scheduled for December 29.

The 2019–2020 season was Beasley’s first with the Timberwolves.

According to the criminal complaints, on September 26, just before 3 p.m. Plymouth Police were sent to a home located on the 18500 block of County Road 6 on the report of a man pointing an assault rifle at a family. Two separate 911 calls were received.

When officers arrived, Beasley began walking down the driveway yelling at them. Officers then spoke with the victims who contacted police to report the incident. They stated they were on a Parade of Homes tour with their 13-year-old, when they pulled up to the roped-off residence, assumed it was closed, and decided to look for another home to view, the complaint says. The victims at the time were on the shoulder of the road in front of the roped-off house.

The complaint continues, saying that the victims heard a tapping on the window, and saw Beasley pointing the firearm at them, telling them to get off his property. The victims got back onto the road and saw Beasley pointing the rifle at them as they drove off.

In two sequential, separate photo lineups, the victims were able to identify Beasley as the assailant with the rifle. Police also spoke with a witness who called 911 to report the incident, who stated that as he was driving by, he saw a man pointing a rifle at a the window of a Black SUV that was stopped on County Road 6, the complaint continues.

Officers obtained a search warrant to locate the rifle, and upon entering the residence, also began searching for marijuana given the overwhelming odor coming from inside. While conducting the search, officers found three firearms, one matching the description of the assault rifle, the complaint states. They also discovered more than 835 grams of marijuana in the basement living room and main floor office.

A search warrant for the surveillance cameras was obtained by officers, who found footage showing Beasley grabbing the rifle from the mudroom closet at 2:50 p.m. and walking out of his garage. At 2:58 p.m., Beasley is seen entering the garage and placing the rifle back in the mudroom closet, the complaint states. 911 calls were made around 3 p.m.

When police interviewed Yao, she admitted that all the marijuana was hers, and that she purchased it from a medical marijuana store, though could not provide its location. Yao also did not have documentation indicating that she could have medical marijuana.

View the criminal complaint against Beasley (PDF).

View the criminal complaint against Yao (PDF).