Police in a South Florida city have issued an arrest warrant for former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown after he and his trainer were accused of battery.
The warrant against Brown, 31, who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was released by the New England Patriots last year, was issued around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to police in Hollywood, Florida.
The warrant charges Brown with one count of burglary with battery, one count burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, and one count of criminal mischief less than $1,000, Hollywood police said.
Hollywood police responded to Brown's home around 2 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a disturbance and after a man alleged that he had been battered by Brown and Brown’s trainer, Glen Holt.
At that time, Holt, 35, was charged with one count of burglary with battery, but police said Tuesday that they had been unable to make contact with Brown.
An attempt to contact an attorney who had previously represented Brown in another matter was not immediately successful Tuesday evening. Another attorney reported to have represented Brown said their professional relationship ended last month.
NBC Miami reported that the alleged victim in the case is the driver of a tractor-trailer moving truck.
Holt appeared in court Wednesday, when bond was set at $20,000.
His attorney, Eric Rudenberg, told NBC Miami that his client would plead not guilty and that the allegations "are way overblown."
"The charge of burglary with a battery carries a punishment of up to life in prison," Rudenberg said. "But this incident — the allegations are extremely minor. It’s something about tussling over keys to a truck."
Rudenberg said that "Mr. Brown’s been through a lot this year in the media, and there’s an instinct sometimes to kick people when they’re down. And I hope that the public and the state attorney’s office and everyone else involved will wait to hear what the evidence is before jumping to any conclusions."
The former All-Pro wide receiver is also accused of sexually assaulting his former trainer, according to a lawsuit she filed in September. His attorneys have denied all allegations stemming from the lawsuit and have countersued the woman. He has not been charged in connection to the accusations.
Brown is most known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but last year he was signed by the New England Patriots.
He was signed by New England after being cut by the Oakland Raiders over disagreements about the helmet he’d wear, as well as a reported confrontation with the team's general manager.
Brown was released from the Patriots in September after just one game amid sexual misconduct allegations, and he was considered an unrestricted free agent.
Following his release by the Patriots, Brown said on Twitter that he would no longer play in the NFL as "owners can cancel deals do whatever they want at anytime."
Hollywood is a city of around 140,000 on Florida’s east coast in between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
