A former NFL wide receiver was extradited from Dubai to the United States to face trial on an attempted murder charge linked to a shooting at a Miami boxing event earlier this year. The incident occurred after a celebrity boxing match, according to Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega, who stated that U.S. Marshals in Dubai detained Antonio Brown. He was transported to Essex County, New Jersey, where he is being held ahead of his extradition to Miami.
Brown shared a statement on social media, saying, “Handed over the keys to the socials and CTESPN to my team while I go through this fight for my innocence. Happy to showcase love & entertainment. All love & respect to everyone for the support.” It remains unclear why he was taken to New Jersey first or how long he had been in Dubai, though he posted frequently on social media from there over recent months.
Court documents detail the May 16 shooting, in which Brown is accused of seizing a handgun from a security officer after the boxing match and firing two shots at a man with whom he had previously clashed in a fistfight. The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that one bullet grazed his neck. It was not specified in court records whether Brown has legal representation.
Police initially detained Brown after the gunfire but released him after several hours. He later posted on social media claiming he was attacked by multiple individuals attempting to steal his jewelry and harm him. “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,” he wrote. A warrant for his arrest on attempted murder charges was issued June 11.
Videos from the Adin Ross boxing event in May showed Brown engaging in altercations with multiple people. One clip captured him fighting in a parking lot as a crowd moved toward an alley, followed by a gunshot that sent spectators fleeing. Brown admitted to “slamming” a security guard but claimed he told officers he had done nothing wrong. A warrant for his arrest was later reported by The Washington Post.
The alleged victim, Nantambu, is known for waving a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February. He was arrested in June on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace after interrupting a lawful assembly, connecting him to the earlier incident. A representative for Brown did not immediately respond to requests for comment.