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Former NFL player Antonio Brown is returning to Miami to confront an attempted murder charge related to a incident that happened in May, with his counsel submitting a innocent plea on his behalf.

Jail records in Essex, New Jersey, indicate that Brown was freed on Tuesday morning for his relocation to the state of Florida. Brown, among the most famous athletes in the NFL, had relinquished extradition to Florida from New Jersey, in which he was detained after being taken into custody in Dubai.

Brown’s counsel, Mark Eiglarsh, said in an message that he has earlier filed a formal innocent plea to the murder attempt charge. Brown could be in a Miami court as soon as Wednesday early for a release session, Eiglarsh added.

Based on his arrest warrant, Brown is charged of grabbing a handgun from a protection staffer after a public figure match bout in May and firing a couple of rounds at a person he had fought with before. The claimed victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told authorities that one of the bullets scraped his nape.

Eiglarsh said that Brown was merely protecting himself from Nantambu.

“The actions he was compelled to take were exclusively in defense against the alleged person’s aggressive behavior. Brown was assaulted that night and responded within his legal right to protect himself,” Eiglarsh stated.

Brown was not right away detained because at first police did not consider Nantambu as a victim. It only subsequently in May that Nantambu gave a full testimony about the event to police and named Brown as the shooter, the affidavit indicates.

According to his online content, Brown had been living in the city of Dubai for several period. In a post after the incident, Brown said he was protecting himself because he was “attacked by several persons who sought to steal my possessions and bring personal harm to me.”

A second-degree attempted murder charge in the state of Florida carries a maximum 15-year jail penalty and up to a $10,000 fee in the case of a guilty verdict.

Brown has encountered several court problems over the time. He previously had been charged of physical attack of a delivery employee, multiple family violence allegations, neglect to pay family payments and additional incidents.

Throughout a 2021 season contest with Tampa Bay against the Jets, Brown stripped off his uniform, shoulder pads and accessories and left the stadium, leading to his termination by the team and effectively halting his football tenure.

Brown, who completed 12 years in the NFL, was an top-tier player who devoted the majority of his tenure with his team. During his professional life, Brown had 928 receptions for above 12,291 yards, the 28th highest of history. He was a 7-time all-star selection.