Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown was arrested in Dubai and extradited to the United States on Thursday to face second-degree attempted murder charges stemming from a May shooting outside a celebrity boxing event. The Antonio Brown attempted murder arrest followed months of evading authorities after a warrant was issued in June for the thirty-seven-year-old’s capture. US Marshals apprehended Brown in the United Arab Emirates where he had been posting social media content appearing to taunt Miami Police according to spokesperson Officer Michael Vega who stated no matter who you are we will bring you to justice.
The Antonio Brown attempted murder case centers around a May 16 altercation at an Adin Ross boxing event in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood where Brown allegedly grabbed a handgun from a security guard’s hip after getting into a fistfight. Surveillance and cellphone video footage captured Brown firing two shots at victim Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu from several feet away with one bullet grazing Nantambu’s neck according to the arrest warrant. Nantambu told investigators he had known Brown since 2022 and identified the former Steelers star as the shooter who came after him following their physical confrontation broken up by security staff.
Brown was flown to Essex County New Jersey where he remains held pending final extradition to Miami-Dade County Jail though authorities have not explained why he was routed through New Jersey first. The Antonio Brown attempted murder charge carries a maximum fifteen-year prison sentence and up to ten thousand dollars in fines if convicted. Brown had retained an attorney who secured a ten thousand dollar bond allowing house arrest but the former receiver never returned to South Florida after learning of the warrant instead remaining overseas for approximately six months.
This Antonio Brown attempted murder arrest adds to a lengthy history of legal troubles plaguing the seven-time Pro Bowl selection who last played for Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Previous issues include battery charges, domestic violence accusations, failure to pay child support, and a 2019 lawsuit over rape and sexual misconduct allegations that was eventually settled. Brown famously ended his NFL career by stripping off his jersey shoulder pads and gloves mid-game against the New York Jets before running off the field leading to his release. The former All-Pro posted on social media Thursday that he was turning over his accounts while Miami Police Chief prepares to transfer him to face trial.
