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Former National Football League wide receiver Antonio Brown is returning to Miami to face an attempted murder charge connected with a shooting that took place in May, as his lawyer submitting a innocent declaration on his behalf.

Jail records in Essex County, New Jersey, reveal that Brown was freed on Tuesday early for his transfer to the state of Florida. Brown, among the most famous players in the National Football League, had forgone extradition to Florida from New Jersey, where he was held after being taken into custody in Dubai.

Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said in an communication that he has earlier lodged a written not guilty declaration to the attempted murder accusation. Brown could be in a Miami hearing as soon as Wednesday morning for a release session, Eiglarsh said.

According to his apprehension document, Brown is charged of grabbing a handgun from a safety guard after a public figure boxing contest in May and shooting two shots at a man he had confronted with earlier. The claimed target, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that a bullet scraped his nape.

Eiglarsh stated that Brown was simply safeguarding himself from Nantambu.

“The measures he was compelled to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged individual’s violent actions. Brown was attacked that time and behaved within his lawful privilege to protect himself,” Eiglarsh stated.

Brown was not immediately detained because originally police did not consider Nantambu as a victim. It wasn’t until subsequently in May that Nantambu delivered a complete account about the incident to authorities and identified Brown as the perpetrator, the affidavit says.

Based on his social media posts, Brown had been living in Dubai for multiple weeks. In a message after the confrontation, Brown claimed he was safeguarding himself because he was “jumped by multiple individuals who attempted to steal my possessions and inflict physical injury to me.”

A category two murder attempt charge in the state of Florida carries a maximum 15-year jail term and up to a $10,000 penalty in the case of a guilty verdict.

Brown has faced several court challenges over the period. He earlier had been alleged of physical attack of a delivery employee, various abuse charges, neglect to pay family payments and additional events.

In a 2021 season contest with his team against the Jets, Brown removed his uniform, shoulder pads and gloves and exited the stadium, leading to his release by the franchise and practically concluding his professional career.

Brown, who completed 12 years in the league, was an top-tier wide receiver who passed the majority of his time with his team. Throughout his professional life, Brown had over 900 grabs for more than 12,291 gains, the 28th highest of all time. He was a 7-time Pro Bowl choice.