Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree attempted murder charge arising from a shooting incident at a Miami boxing event in May.
According to witnesses and the alleged victim, Brown approached a man with a firearm and fired twice at him during the altercation.
But his legal team is vehemently arguing that the mercurial (an insult to the Roman God Mercury) ex-footballer acted purely in self-defense during the melee.
Brown maintains that he was the victim, claiming he was jumped by multiple individuals attempting to steal his jewelry and inflict physical harm on him.
“The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim’s violent behavior,” his lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said. “Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself from an individual who had previously committed criminal acts against him.”
“It’s a privilege to represent him, and I am determined to ensure that justice is served.”
Antonio Brown acted in self-defense?
Antonio Brown allegedly opened fire on Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu during the dispute.
Brown maintains that Nantambu was the aggressor, claiming he was jumped by multiple individuals attempting to steal his jewelry and inflict physical harm on him.
Videos on social media, back in May, show Brown getting into a brawl with several men. A brawl that moves slowly through an alley.
Another video clip showed Brown running back towards the melee, and shots can be heard being fired off shortly thereafter. Spectators in the clip end up scattered after hearing the shots.
This is where the fight will be, legally. Why did Brown run back to the scrum?
Brown claimed that Nantambu had stalked him at multiple events and, due to the incident, was left “fighting for my life.”
Following the event, police detained Brown but released him after hearing his side of the story. He later posted on social media, denying any wrongdoing and vowing to pursue charges against his attackers.
A warrant for Antonio Brown’s arrest was issued in June, however, leading to his extradition from the United Arab Emirates last week. He is currently in New Jersey, awaiting transfer to South Florida for trial.
Brown faces 15 years in prison if convicted.
READ MORE: Antonio Brown Extradited, Arrested for Attempted Murder
Alleged victim is no saint
Antonio Brown’s attorney asserts that the incident was pure self-defense, emphasizing that the former Super Bowl champion acted legally to protect himself from an individual with a history of violent acts against him.
Indeed, Nantambu has his own rap sheet.
Reports surfaced showing Nantambu apparently waved a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February.
In June, he was arrested on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly. Those two incidents are linked.
AB’s problem, however, is that he has his own history of getting into trouble with the law. And his social media outbursts have branded him as practically certifiable.
Does that make him guilty of attempted murder in this case? Of course not. But the fact that law enforcement initially released him and then, after a thorough investigation, decided his actions warranted arrest does not bode well.