Former NFL star Antonio Brown appeared via video in a Miami court, entering a not guilty plea to second-degree attempted murder. The charge comes after a May 16 incident at a celebrity boxing event, where Brown allegedly grabbed a pistol from a security guard and fired two shots. One of the bullets is reported to have grazed the neck of Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, his alleged target.
A key detail complicates his legal exposure: Florida’s firearm sentencing enhancement. Because he allegedly discharged a weapon, prosecutors claim he now faces up to 30 years in prison, and not just the 15 years typical for this charge, citing Florida’s “10-20-life” sentencing rule. Under that law, firing a gun during a crime carries a minimum of 20 years.
A judge set Brown’s bail last week at $25,000, but ordered him to wear a GPS ankle monitor and to surrender his passport. Brown’s attorney maintains his client acted in self-defense, claiming he was attacked first and responded by protecting himself. Meanwhile, prosecutors highlighted surveillance footage and witness accounts linking Brown to the shooting.
Brown didn’t speak at the hearing. He waived extradition from Dubai, where he was arrested earlier. The next court status hearing is scheduled soon.
