Antonio Brown

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

Former NFL receiver and Albany Empire owner Antonio Brown has been arrested on an attempted murder charge tied to a shooting after a celebrity boxing event in Miami, police confirmed on Thursday, Nov. 6.

Brown, 37, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Dubai and flown to Essex County, New Jersey, where he is being held pending extradition to Miami, according to Miami police spokesman Mike Vega told NBCNews. Vega said no date has been set for his transfer to Miami-Dade County.

According to the arrest warrant, Brown allegedly grabbed a handgun from a security staffer after the May 16 match and fired two shots at a man he’d earlier fought, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu. One bullet grazed the victim’s neck, police said. The altercation was captured on video and widely circulated on social media.

Brown claimed he was attacked but determined he ran toward the victim and fired after the fight had ended, investigators say.

He is charged with Attempted Second-Degree Murder With a Deadly Weapon, which carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

Authorities have not explained why Brown was routed through New Jersey before being extradited to Florida, nor how long he had been in Dubai. His recent posts on social media showed him living there for months.

NFL Career And Albany Empire Ownership

Before his legal troubles, Antonio Tavaris Brown Sr., nicknamed “AB,” was a seven-time Pro Bowler who spent nine standout seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he earned four straight first-team All-Pro honors.

He briefly joined the New England Patriots in 2019 but was released after a sexual assault investigation.

In 2023, Brown bought into the Albany Empire, an indoor football franchise, later claiming to be its full owner. His tenure was marked by chaos, including missed payments, lawsuits, and the team’s expulsion from the National Arena League.

Brown’s post-NFL life spiraled into bankruptcy filings, child support warrants, and international controversies, including a 2022 indecent exposure incident at a Dubai hotel.

Legal Background

Brown’s off-field behavior has drawn headlines for years. In 2018, he was sued for throwing furniture off a 14th-floor balcony in Pittsburgh, nearly hitting a toddler below, multiple outlets reported at the time. He was later fined for driving over 100 mph in a separate incident.

In 2019, his former trainer Britney Taylor filed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault, claims Brown denied, according to the New York Times. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges due to the statute of limitations, but the case was settled in 2021.

That same year, Brown was charged in Hollywood, Florida, with felony burglary of a vehicle, misdemeanor battery, and criminal mischief after allegedly attacking a moving truck driver, police explained. He pleaded no contest, was sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, attend anger management, and undergo a psychological evaluation.

In 2022, Brown was accused of exposing himself at a hotel pool in Dubai, and later faced a domestic violence warrant in Tampa after allegedly throwing a shoe at his ex-fiancée, TMZ reported.

The former wideout has also faced multiple child support-related arrest warrants and was briefly arrested in Broward County in 2023 for unpaid support.

In 2024, Brown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing less than $50,000 in assets while owing nearly $3 million to eight creditors, including more than $1 million in civil judgments.

Ongoing Case

The Miami-Dade County warrant, signed on June 11, 2025, alleged Brown fled the United States shortly after it was issued in connection with the May 16 shooting outside a Little Haiti boxing event. Investigators believe he traveled to Dubai to avoid arrest.

He was captured months later by U.S. Marshals and flown to New Jersey, where he remains pending extradition to Miami.

If convicted, Brown faces up to 15 years in state prison.