Antonio Brown seeks the dismissal of his attempted murder charge under the Stand Your Ground statute
The ex-NFL star aims to have his attempted murder charge dismissed as both parties offer contradictory narratives.
Antonio Brown is requesting that a Florida court dismiss a second degree attempted murder charge related to a shooting that occurred outside an amateur boxing event in Miami.
This week, his attorney submitted the request, contending that Florida’s Stand Your Ground statute protects him from prosecution in this matter.
Brown’s ongoing legal issues started following the altercation on May 16. He departed the country shortly thereafter and stayed in Dubai for a duration of six months. The United States Marshals subsequently brought him back to Florida, where he pleaded not guilty. Should the state achieve a conviction, he may face a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
Mark Eiglarsh, his attorney, shared the motion filed on Monday with ESPN. The defense asserts that Brown resorted to force solely because he felt he was in imminent danger.
“The motion states that Brown’s use of force on May 16, 2025, was entirely justified.” “Brown had a reasonable belief that the alleged victim aimed to inflict serious harm upon him.”
Zul Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, the man identified as the alleged victim, firmly contests Brown’s account of the events. Richard L. Cooper, his attorney, expressed criticism of the defense filing, asserting that it fails to accurately represent the events that took place.
He characterized the motion as “a ridiculous reinterpretation” of the incident. Prosecutors back Nantambu’s stance, asserting that Brown “pursues [Nantambu] and fires at him from point-blank range.”
There are also reports of video footage that captures Brown holding a firearm near the victim during the altercation.
Since its enactment in 2005, Florida’s Stand Your Ground law has influenced numerous high-profile cases. The law permits individuals to employ deadly force when they perceive a significant threat and does not mandate retreat.
Brown’s legal team contends that the incident in Miami must be understood within a broader context. The motion asserts that Nantambu had previously exhibited animosity toward Brown, including an incident in Dubai that resulted in a 30-day jail sentence for an alleged jewelry theft.
The defense stated that Brown was merely walking to his car when Nantambu approached him during the incident in May.
Police reports outline a markedly different sequence of events. According to investigators, Brown instigated the violence by hitting Nantambu in the face and collaborating with two other men prior to the gunshot being fired.
“By the grace of God, [Nantambu] was not killed,” Cooper stated during a court hearing in November.
Brown’s attorneys acknowledge that he fired a weapon but maintain that the gunshot was not meant to hit anyone. The motion asserts that it was “a warning shot” and contends that Brown “reasonably feared” Nantambu was armed and making a “aggressive movement” toward him.
Brown is presently out on $25,000 bail and must stay under house arrest as the court assesses the applicability of the Stand Your Ground law to his situation.
