Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has agreed to a plea deal in Miami on an attempted murder charge stemming from a May 2025 shooting incident, his attorney confirmed Wednesday. Brown is scheduled to finalize the agreement in court on September 30, 2025, avoiding a potential 30-year prison sentence if convicted at trial.
Core Facts of the Plea Agreement
Under the terms of the deal, Brown will plead to a reduced charge and receive probation rather than incarceration, according to defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh. The plea avoids a second-degree murder charge, which prosecutors initially pursued. Brown’s legal team had previously indicated he would pursue a Stand Your Ground defense, asserting he acted in self-defense during the incident.
Details of the Incident
On May 16, 2025, Brown was involved in a fistfight with Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu outside a celebrity boxing match in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood. According to an arrest warrant, Brown allegedly grabbed a handgun from a security staffer and fired two shots at Nantambu, grazing his neck. Nantambu later told investigators that one bullet grazed his neck, though no life-threatening injuries were reported.
Brown left the U.S. following the incident but was arrested in Dubai in November 2025 by U.S. Marshals and extradited back to Florida. He was released on a $25,000 bond and required to wear a GPS monitor while awaiting trial. Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges at the time of his arrest.
Legal and Personal Statements
Eiglarsh stated that Brown believes in his innocence and maintains he acted in self-defense. "This was not an easy decision," the attorney said. "Antonio believes strongly in his Stand Your Ground defense and believes he would ultimately prevail at trial. But when prosecutors put an offer on the table that transforms a potential decades-long prison sentence into a significantly reduced charge and probation, there was simply no way he could reasonably turn it down."
Nantambu’s attorney later stated this month that his client forgave Brown and no longer wished to participate in the prosecution, though prosecutors did not confirm whether this influenced their decision to offer the plea deal.
Stand Your Ground Law Context
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law permits individuals to use deadly force in self-defense without a duty to retreat if they reasonably believe they face death or serious injury. Brown’s legal team has indicated they would have pursued dismissal under this law had the case gone to trial.
The plea agreement is scheduled to be finalized at Brown’s court appearance on September 30, 2025. Further details about the specific charges and sentencing terms are expected to be disclosed at that time.