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Even though his NFL career ended in 2022, former Steelers and Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown stays in the headlines. His latest antics include being wanted in Florida on an attempted felony murder charge. It stems from a post-celebrity boxing match fight that turned into an exchange of gunfire.
As we previously reported, while at Adin Ross’ Brand Risk event in Florida on May 17, Brown and Zül-Qarnaįn Nantambu exchanged words and then got physical, with Brown shown on video hitting Nantambu several times. As the fight escalated with several men stepping in to defend Brown, police say that Brown took a gun from a security guard’s hip and pursued Nantambu.
“Cell phone video obtained from social media showed Mr. Brown with the firearm in his hand advancing towards Mr. Nantambu on the outside sidewalk,” police allege in a charging document. “The video captures two shots which occur as Mr. Brown is within several feet of Mr. Nantambu. The video also captures Mr. Nantambu ducking after the first shot is heard.”
However, Brown says that Nantambu was one of several men trying to rob him, and that police detained him at the scene and then let him go when no gun was found.
“Police temporarily detained me,” he said in a statement obtained by TMZ, “until they received my side of the story and then released me. I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND WAS NOT ARRESTED.”
However, police issued a warrant for Brown’s arrest in June 11. But Brown has been holing up in Dubai, where he appeared on the Kick platform promoting online gambling. On his livestream, dressed in a white furry hat, black tank and diamond-encrusted chain, he joked with fans, played some mahjong and puffed on…something.
However, Brown is not technically considered to be on the run, as he was out of the country already when the warrant was issued. Florida police say an investigation is “active and ongoing.”
Nantambu is the same man who was arrested during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance for unfurling a flag in support of Palestinians and the Sudanese on the field as both are embroiled in wars. He was listed as one of Lamar’s dancers. He was released after police could not determine anything to charge him with. Lamar said he had no knowledge of Nantambu’s plans prior to the show.
Brown’s antics have been well-documented as fans believe that his mental health has deteriorated due to years of playing football. He’s been involved in various incidents with his children’s mothers, several financial disputes and played his last down of football after running off the field shirtless in an infamous incident while with the Bucs. In 2019, Brown was released by the Raiders after not even suiting up for the team, something former teammate Maxx Crosby remembered on a recent podcast hosted by Johnny Manziel.
“It didn’t seem real, but it was like I knew nothing else and at the time, I’m just trying to figure it the f-ck out,” Crosby said. “It was a crazy experience, I mean, Antonio Brown, that dude, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It was like reality TV, bro. I think AB was the biggest culprit from the feet getting burned off to the hot air balloon going into camp, like this is not real. This is like Blitz the League type sh-t,” Crosby said, referring to the video game.
Watch Nantambu’s account of the fight here, and see social’s reaction to the situation below.
