Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, 37, will return to Florida after waiving extradition at a court hearing in New Jersey on Friday. Brown is facing an attempted murder charge in connection with a May shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami.
Brown was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Dubai and brought to Essex County Jail in Newark, New Jersey, where he agreed not to contest his extradition to Florida. Florida authorities are now preparing to pick him up for transport.
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The arrest stems from an incident on May 16, when Brown allegedly fired two shots at Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, following a fistfight earlier in the day. The victim stated that one of the bullets grazed his neck. Cellphone footage of the incident shows Brown holding a firearm and advancing on Nantambu, who ducked after the first shot was fired.
Initially, police did not recognize Nantambu as a victim, but he later identified Brown as the shooter in a full statement given to authorities on May 21.
Brown, who spent most of his 12-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has a history of legal issues. The attempted murder charge could carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, if convicted.
In a social media post following the altercation, Brown claimed he was defending himself after being attacked by multiple individuals who tried to steal his jewelry.
Brown’s arrest follows years of legal problems and an infamous incident in 2021 when he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an on-field meltdown.