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Former NFL star Antonio Brown will head back to Miami after waiving his extradition on an attempted murder charge, officials said on Friday, November 7. Brown, 37, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals after he was charged with one count of attempted second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The former wide receiver allegedly tried to shoot and kill a man outside a celebrity boxing match in Miami, Florida, in May. TMZ Sports reported that at the time of his apprehension, Brown was in the United Arab Emirates with the purpose of allegedly trying to evade U.S. authorities. After a months-long search, Brown was extradited to New Jersey on Thursday, November 7. “Brown is back at the Essex County Jail in Newark where he is awaiting pick up by Florida authorities,” Carmen Martin, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, told the Associated Press. The May boxing event was hosted by popular streamer Adin Ross. In a video of the incident that surfaced earlier this year, Brown can be seen fighting with several people outside the event. According to an arrest warrant issued after the incident, Brown stated at the time that a security guard stepped in to break up the fight when Brown allegedly took his gun. Witnesses say Brown was the one who allegedly fired the shots that are heard off camera in the video. Two shell casings were found at the scene, but Brown was reportedly unarmed when police detained him. The victim, Zül-Qarnaįn Nantambu, is named in the warrant as the person Brown allegedly shot at. “Cell phone video obtained from social media showed Mr. Brown with the firearm in his hand advancing towards Mr. Nantambu on the outside sidewalk,” the arrest warrant states. “The video captures two shots which occur as Mr. Brown is within several feet of Mr. Nantambu. The video also captures Mr. Nantambu ducking after the first shot is heard.” The former NFL player commented via his social media the day after the incident in May, pleading his innocence to his followers. “I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me,” he wrote via X on May 17. “Contrary to some video circulating, Police temporarily detained me until they received my side of the story and then released me. I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND WAS NOT ARRESTED. I will be talking to my legal council and attorneys on pressing charges on the individuals that jumped me.” A second-degree attempted murder charge in Florida carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence and up to a $10,000 fine in the event of a conviction. Brown played 12 seasons in the NFL, spending nine of those years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played briefly for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was released by the Buccaneers after a 2021 on-field incident in which Brown took off his football pads and uniform and ran off the field. He won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020. Brown has had his share of legal troubles throughout the years. He’s been accused of battery, several domestic violence charges and failure to pay child support, among other incidents.
