Ex-WR Brown arrested in Dubai, extradited to U.S.

Former NFL star Antonio Brown was arrested on an attempted murder charge stemming from a shooting after a celebrity boxing event in Miami, police confirmed Thursday.

Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega said Brown, 37, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He was flown to Essex County, New Jersey, where he is being held pending extradition to Miami, Vega said.

It was unclear why Brown was taken to New Jersey first or how long he had been in Dubai, although he has posted several times on social media over the past few months from there.

According to an arrest warrant detailing the May 16 shooting, Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after the boxing match and firing two shots at a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier. The man, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators one of the bullets grazed his neck.

It was unclear from court documents whether Brown has an attorney.

Police initially detained him after gunshots were fired at the event. Brown was seen fighting with several people on a video posted to social media, and gunshots could clearly be heard after the altercation. Police released Brown after a few hours, and he posted an explanation to social media the following day.

«I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me,» he wrote on his X account. «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. I will be talking to my legal council and attorneys on pressing charges on the individuals that jumped me.»

A warrant for Brown’s arrest on the attempted murder charge was issued June 11.

It was not immediately known when Brown might be returned to Miami.

A second-degree attempted murder charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence and up to a $10,000 fine in the event of a conviction.

Brown, who spent 12 years in the NFL, was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay but spent most of his career with Pittsburgh. For his career, Brown had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and 83 touchdowns.

Brown has dealt with various legal problems over the years. He previously had been accused of battery of a moving truck driver, several domestic violence charges, failure to pay child support and other incidents. During a 2021 game with Tampa Bay against the New York Jets, Brown took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, leading to his release by the Buccaneers and effectively ending his football career.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.