Antonio Brown invoked Florida’s “stand your ground” law in an attempt to evade attempted murder charges stemming from the May 2025 shooting.
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Antonio Brown invoked Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” statute this week to ask a Miami judge to dismiss an attempted murder case related to a May 2025 shooting outside a boxing match.
Brown’s legal team filed a motion Monday claiming he acted in lawful self-defense when he fired his weapon during a confrontation with Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu.
His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, argued that Brown had “reason to believe that the alleged victim intended to cause serious harm to him.”
The incident took place outside an amateur boxing match in Miami, with prosecutors alleging Brown punched Nantambu and then “shot him at close range” with the assistance of two other men. Surveillance video reportedly showed Brown holding a gun near the victim.
Brown does not deny firing the gun. His defense attorney insisted the shooting was not intended to kill but to intimidate. The motion calls it a “warning shot” and claims Brown had “reasonable concern” that Nantambu was armed.
His lawyers also pointed to Nantambu’s criminal background, which includes a month in jail in Dubai for allegedly stealing jewellery.
Nantambu’s attorney, Richard Cooper, dismissed the claim of self-defense outright. “By God’s grace, [Nantambu] “He was not killed,” he told the court in November. Cooper called Brown’s motion a “hilarious reimagining” of the incident.
The case has been the subject of several legal proceedings since the May incident. After the shooting, Brown fled the country and stayed in Dubai for six months. U.S. Marshals eventually extradited him in November. He pleaded not guilty on November 12 and was released on $25,000 bail and placed under electronically monitored house arrest.
Florida’s 2005 Stand Your Ground law allows individuals to use deadly force if they believe they are in imminent danger and eliminates the obligation to retreat.
The law gained national attention during the 2013 trial of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the death of Trayvon Martin.
If convicted, Brown could face up to 30 years in prison for adding a firearm enhancement to the second-degree attempted murder charge. The former NFL wide receiver and seven-time Pro Bowler remains confined to his home while the court considers whether to proceed with his case.
