One-time NFL Athlete Antonio Brown Enters Innocent Plea in Murder Attempt Trial
Former NFL player Antonio Brown is heading to Miami to face an attempted murder charge related to a gunfire that took place in May, as his counsel filing a innocent declaration on his behalf.
Correctional logs in Essex, New Jersey, indicate that Brown was freed on Tuesday early for his transfer to the state of Florida. Brown, one of the most popular athletes in the National Football League, had forgone transfer to Florida from New Jersey, in which he was detained after being apprehended in the city of Dubai.
Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, mentioned in an email that he has previously submitted a documented not guilty response to the attempted murder charge. Brown could be in a Miami courtroom as soon as Wednesday early for a bail session, Eiglarsh said.
According to his apprehension warrant, Brown is accused of grabbing a firearm from a safety employee after a public figure boxing bout in May and discharging a couple of shots at a individual he had fought with before. The alleged individual, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, stated to authorities that one of the bullets touched his neck.
Eiglarsh asserted that Brown was only defending himself from Nantambu.
“The measures he was obliged to take were solely in self-protection against the reported individual’s aggressive conduct. Brown was assaulted that time and acted within his legal right to defend himself,” Eiglarsh said.
Brown was not immediately apprehended because originally officers did not identify Nantambu as a victim. It only subsequently in May that Nantambu gave a full account about the situation to authorities and identified Brown as the perpetrator, the affidavit indicates.
From his social media posts, Brown had been staying in Dubai for several weeks. In a update after the incident, Brown claimed he was defending himself because he was “jumped by numerous individuals who sought to rob my jewelry and inflict physical damage to me.”
A second-degree murder attempt allegation in Florida carries a highest fifteen-year prison term and up to a $10,000 fine in the instance of a guilty verdict.
Brown has dealt with multiple legal challenges over the years. He earlier had been accused of physical attack of a delivery driver, various family violence allegations, inability to pay parental support and further incidents.
In a recent game with his team against the Jets, Brown took off his shirt, shoulder pads and handwear and exited the field, leading to his termination by the franchise and effectively halting his professional journey.
Brown, who completed twelve years in the league, was an All-Pro receiver who devoted the majority of his career with Pittsburgh. During his professional life, Brown had nine hundred twenty-eight catches for above 12,291 yards, the 28th most of all time. He was a 7-time all-star choice.