Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown is seeking to have his attempted murder charge dismissed under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, according to court documents.
The former wide receiver pleaded not guilty last month to one count of second-degree attempted murder, after he was arrested and extradited from Dubai, where he hid out following the shooting at a celebrity boxing match in Miami.
On May 16, Brown allegedly snatched a firearm off a security guard working the event, then fired off two shots at a man he’d gotten into a scuffle with earlier in the day, according to an arrest warrant.
In a motion to drop the charge, Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, claimed the four-time First Team All-Pro selection actually used his own weapon, and that he wasn’t actually aiming at anyone, the Miami Herald reported. He further alleged Brown was fully within his rights to fire his legally owned gun because he was in fear for his life
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, passed in 2005, allows people to use deadly force if they reasonably believe they’re in danger of death or great physical harm.
The alleged victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, said that one of the bullets fired by Brown grazed his neck.
The former footballer, meanwhile, suffered injuries to “his eye, knee and hands, leaving him with visible bleeding” after Nantambu attacked him, the motion said. “The chaos created by Nantambu’s violent attack heightened Brown’s fear for his life.”
Prior to the shooting, Brown allegedly punched Nantambu, who also told investigators he tried to leave after Brown attacked him. But Brown persisted, Nantambu alleged, and followed him with a firearm.
According to the recent court filing, Brown and Nantambu have a long and, at times, violent history. In 2022, Nantambu was jailed in Dubai for 30 days after stealing Brown’s jewelry. And the following year, Nantambu allegedly attacked Brown backstage at a Rolling Loud concert.
