An arrest warrant has been issue for former Pittsburgh Steelers’ WR Antonio Brown for domestic violence battery charges. Reports first surfaced last night and they were confirmed Thursday morning. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe tweeted out this screengrab of the warrant information via the Tampa Police Department.
Exact details over the allegations against Brown are still largely unknown. Police have yet to make an arrest and as of this writing, Brown has not turned himself in.
According to The Tampa Bay Times’ Joey Knight, it is a misdemeanor battery charge, not felony charges. There is currently no bond.
We will update this post with more information about the case as we receive it.
UPDATE (12:31 PM): Per FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer, court documents reveal Brown is alleged to have locked the mother of four of his children out of her house, tossed out her belongings, threatened to shoot her, and threw a shoe at her. He then refused to come outside when Tampa police arrived.
UPDATE (3:21 PM): Surrounded by police, Brown is reportedly refusing to come out of his home.
UPDATE (5:11 PM): Police have responded to media reports and do not currently categorize Brown’s situation as a “standoff,” though they are currently at his home. Per NBC’s Sam Brock, police are not positive Brown is even inside his home. They also say they’ve made “multiple” attempts to arrest Brown.
Brown hasn’t played in the NFL since last season when he stormed off the field as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, taking off his jersey and running off the field and into the tunnel. The Bucs released him shortly after that.
Brown’s stardom has collapsed since demanding a trade out of Pittsburgh. Originally sent to the Raiders, he never played a down for the team, butting heads with then-GM Mike Mayock and being released before the season started. From there, he spent one game in New England before seemingly finding stable ground in Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs. But another outburst ended his time in Tampa and likely his NFL career. Now 34 with a tarnished reputation, Brown has had multiple run-ins with the law and this serious allegation seems to be the latest.
