Antonio Brown back in court, granted permission to travel in Miami shooting case

Former NFL star Antonio Brown appeared in court Friday after a motion for permission to travel was filed Thursday.

Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez granted Brown permission to travel to Tampa, Florida, in two weeks.

The two-page motion states that Brown intends to participate in “several scheduled business engagements with Energetic Exotic, Florida’s premier exotic and luxury car rental company. In addition, he has multiple prearranged music studio sessions,” according to the filing.

The motion also states that “while in Tampa, Mr. Brown will reside at his primary private residence.”

The hearing was held Thursday, Jan. 9, at 8:45 a.m.

Body camera video of the incident

Earlier this week, police body camera video was released. The footage shows the moments Brown was handcuffed and detained after he allegedly fired gunshots following a celebrity boxing match in Miami last year.

Brown, 37, has filed a motion to dismiss the charges stemming from the May 16 shooting under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted second-degree murder, which carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.

According to an arrest warrant, Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after the boxing match and firing two shots at Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, with whom he had earlier been involved in a fistfight. Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Portions of police body camera shows ex-NFL star Antonio Brown in handcuffs after he allegedly fired gunshots in Miami in May 2025.

The bodycam video, which was released Wednesday as part of discovery of the case, shows Brown in handcuffs and inside a Miami Police cruiser, complaining of his injuries and questioning why he was handcuffed.

“I did nothing, brother,” he tells an officer.

Throughout the footage, he begs the officer to use the bathroom, requests to call his mom, and asks him to check the cut on his knee.

“Why am I in handcuffs, bro, who hit me?” Brown says.

Brown’s attorney said that the arrest affidavit is mistaken and that Brown actually used his personal firearm, and that the shots were not aimed at anyone.

The “Stand Your Ground” motion filed by Brown’s attorney alleges that Nantambu also attacked Brown backstage during 2023 Rolling Loud, and was jailed in Dubai in 2022 for stealing Brown’s jewelry. The motion also claimed Nantambu had publicly issued threats at Brown, including stating “your days are numbered.”

The motion claims Nantambu knew Brown was at the boxing event because Brown had been livestreaming, and said Nantambu waited outside the event for an opportunity to confront Brown.

As Brown exited, he spotted Nantambu quickly approaching him and saw him “tucking his chain inside his shirt,” the motion said.

He attacked Brown, who suffered injuries to his eye, knee and hands as others joined in the assault and Brown became in fear for his life, the motion said.

“Fearing additional violence and believing he may encounter Nantambu again while attempting to reach his vehicle, Brown retrieved his concealed firearm, for which he lawfully possessed a permit,” the motion said.

In video posted on Only in Dade, Brown was seen an altercation with several individuals. At one point, he was seen running and a gunshot was heard. 

Brown ran to his car but again encountered Nantambu, who he feared was armed and “made an aggressive movement towards him,” the motion said.

“In that moment, Brown again reasonably feared death or great bodily harm. In response, he fired two warning shots, intentionally aiming away from Nantambu to ensure he would not be struck,” the motion said. “Brown hoped the warning shots would deter Nantambu’s aggression, allowing Brown to safely reach his vehicle and leave the scene.”

The motion claimed there was a struggle, and Nantambu took Brown’s gun and then fled the scene with the weapon, while Brown stayed at the scene and complied with law enforcement.

Brown was not immediately arrested that night because initially, police did not identify Nantambu as a victim. It wasn’t until May 21 that Nantambu gave a full statement about the incident to police and identified Brown as the shooter, the affidavit says.

Brown has said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and that others were trying to steal jewelry from him.