Former NFL star Antonio Brown has been arrested on attempted murder charges in a shooting that followed a celebrity boxing event in Miami, police confirmed Thursday.
Miami police spokesman Mike Vega said Brown, 37, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Dubai. He was taken to Essex County, New Jersey, where he is being held pending extradition to Miami, Vega said.
It is unclear why Brown was taken to New Jersey in the first place or how long he remained in Dubai, although he has posted several times on social media over the past few months from there.
According to an arrest warrant detailing the May 16 shooting, Brown is accused of snatching a handgun from a security guard after a boxing match and firing two shots at a man with whom he had previously fought. The man, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that a bullet hit him in the neck.
It was not clear from court documents whether Brown had an attorney. It was also not immediately known when Brown would return to Miami.
A conviction on the second-degree attempted murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Brown, who spent 12 years in the NFL, was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played for Tampa Bay in 2021 but spent most of his career with Pittsburgh. During his career, Brown had 928 receptions for over 12,000 yards and 83 touchdowns.
Brown has faced several legal problems over the years. He was previously accused of assaulting a moving truck driver, multiple domestic violence charges, failure to pay child support and other incidents. During a 2021 game with Tampa Bay against the New York Jets, Brown took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, causing the Buccaneers to release him and effectively ending his football career.
