FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Antonio Brown was released on bail Friday after a night in a Florida jail, where the former longtime Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver turned himself in to face charges related to accusations he and his trainer attacked the driver of a moving company truck that carried some of his possessions from California.
Broward County Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon set a $110,000 bond and imposed conditions that included surrendering his passport, wearing a GPS monitor, possessing no weapons or ammunition and agreeing to a mental health evaluation and random drug testing. Brown was released a few hours after the hearing, his lawyer said.
The 31-year-old Miami native had appeared via video in a green jail uniform with his wrists shackled. He spoke only to answer the judge's questions.
Prosecutors had sought no bail because they believe Brown, as a wealthy sports figure, is a risk of flight if released. They noted police had been called to his Florida home 18 times since December for various reasons.
However, one of Brown's lawyers, Eric Schwartzreich, said his client deserved credit for surrendering voluntarily and had no incentive to flee.
"He could have clearly left. He's not going to go anywhere," Schwartzreich said. "He wanted to turn himself in."
A sixth-round draft pick out of Central Michigan in 2010, Brown played nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a seven-time Pro Bowl pick and a four-time All-Pro first-team selection. He twice led the NFL in receptions (129 in 2014; 136 in 2015) and receiving yards (1,698 in 2014; 1,533 in 2017) and led the league in touchdown catches with 15 in 2018.
He was traded to the Oakland Raiders last year but was released before ever playing a regular-season game after several off-the-field incidents. He was then signed by the New England Patriots, who released Brown in September after a second woman in 10 days accused him of sexual misconduct.
Along with several other free agents, Brown had a workout with the New Orleans Saints in late December, though in an Instagram post he later called that a "publicity stunt" on the team's part.
Former longtime Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown turned himself in at a Florida jail on Thursday night to face charges related to accusations he and his trainer attacked the driver of a moving company truck that carried some of his possessions from California. Brown was released on bail Friday. / Photo by Broward Sheriff's Office via AP
In a Wednesday news release, Hollywood police said Brown's arrest warrant included charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief. Officials responded Tuesday afternoon to a disturbance call in which a man said Brown and his trainer, Glenn Holt, hit him near Brown's Hollywood home.
Holt was arrested a short time later and charged with one count of burglary with battery, but officials couldn't make contact with Brown at the time.
According to an incident report from police, the altercation began as an argument related to Brown's refusal to pay $4,000 to the driver to release his household goods. The driver called police and reported vandalism after he said Brown threw a rock as he drove away, causing a small dent and chipping the vehicle's paint, an officer wrote.
The driver later returned when the manager of his company told him Brown would now pay the $4,000 plus an additional $860 for the damage and the driver's time. Brown then paid the $4,000 but refused to pay the rest, so the driver returned to the truck to call his company, and that's when Brown "started another verbal argument," police said.
"Brown stepped up into the cabin of the vehicle and started to physically grab and pull (the driver)," while Holt "entered the vehicle and grabbed the keys from the ignition," according to the report, which noted the driver tried to get the keys back and cut his hand in the process.
Police said the driver's injuries also included scratches on his neck, shoulder and arm, as well as a scrape on his stomach.
Holt then used the keys to open the vehicle, and Brown "and other unidentified friends" began removing boxes. The boxes, however, belonged to another client, police said. When the driver told them so, Brown and the others "started tossing the items back into the truck causing damage to some of the property," an officer wrote.
Hollywood police were called again, and when officers arrived, Brown "retreated inside of his residence and shut the door."