TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police say they're still working to contact former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown on Friday morning on charges related to domestic battery.
Officers from the Tampa Police Department were outside the former NFL star's South Tampa home for hours on Thursday after announcing a court-authorized warrant for his arrest.
Brown was scheduled to make his first court appearance at 11 a.m. Friday, should he be arrested before then, a spokesperson for the 13th Judicial Circuit said in an earlier email. He did not show up, and records show an arrest warrant remains active.
Here's what we know about Brown's charges so far.
What is Antonio Brown accused of?
According to a Tampa police report, 34-year-old Antonio Brown was involved in a verbal argument with the mother of his children around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at a South Tampa home.
Officers said the argument turned physical after Brown threw a shoe at the woman, hitting her ponytail.
"The victim had no injuries but believed the shoe was meant for her head," the report reads.
Police said Brown also "attempted to issue an informal eviction" to the woman by locking her out of the home. Brown reportedly "would not open the door or come outside to speak with officers" following the incident.
What is a risk protection order?
A risk protection order is an order that only law enforcement can request if it's believed that a person poses a danger to themselves if they have access to firearms or ammunition, according to the Florida Office of the State Courts administrator.
The Tampa Police Department requested a risk protection order to limit Brown's access to firearms — officers noted in the police report that there were two in the home — but it was denied by a judge.
How long was Antonio Brown with the Buccaneers?
Brown's history with the Buccaneers was tumultuous; the team signed Brown to a one-year deal in October 2020 following an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy since pleading no contest to felony battery and burglary charges after an incident with a moving truck driver in South Florida.
In December 2021, Brown was among two players suspended for what the league said was a misrepresentation of their vaccination status in violation of COVID protocols. News of the suspensions came weeks after a Tampa Bay Times report from Rick Stroud accused Brown of obtaining a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to dodge league rules.
Cameras captured Brown not long after his return during a game between the Bucs and the New York Jets in which he stripped off his jersey and shoulder pads. He then took off his undershirt and gloves and threw them into the stands before running into the locker room to exit the game.
Then-head coach Bruce Arians said of Brown after the incident that he "is no longer a Buc." He became a free agent in January 2022, shortly after his separation from the Bucs.