A judge has ordered an evaluation of Antonio Brown's mental state and handed the NFL free agent tough release terms after he spent the night in a Florida prison, turning himself in over an arrest warrant for battery and burglary.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brown turned himself in to police after accusations that he and coach Glenn Holt attacked a driver and threw rocks at his truck as he tried to deliver possessions to Brown’s Hollywood home.
Wearing a mint-coloured suit over a green tracksuit top, Brown strolled through the entrance of Broward Jail and announced himself before leaving shortly afterwards to confer with his attorney, Eric Schwartzreich, who was part of a large entourage accompanying the athlete.
He then returned to the prison, where he is thought to have spent the night before appearing before a judge.
Although Brown did not respond to reporters outside the prison, Schwartzreich said that a bond would be posted to secure the release of his client, who he expected to be “acquitted of all charges.”
The following morning, a judge set that bond for Brown’s release at $100,000 and ordered him to wear a monitor, hand over firearms, not contact the alleged victim, surrender his passport and abide by any recommendations made during a mental health evaluation.
Police said Brown had not been arrested at the same time as Holt because he locked himself inside his house, and his alleged victim told the hearing that Brown had torn his shirt and injured his shoulder during the altercation.
In a recording of the call made to police, obtained by TMZ Sports, the driver can be heard reporting: “The guy is high...he threatened me, he’s trying to fight, he’s thrown stones.
“He is definitely high because one of his buddies was trying to fight with him to cool him down. He tried to grab the keys from my hand. He’s taken stuff forcefully out of the truck.”
One of Brown’s attorneys told the judge: “We’re talking about scratches.”
Brown spent eight years with the Steelers and was selected for Pro Bowl seven times before a brief spell at Oakland Raiders last year.
The New England Patriots signed him in September, three days before one of his former off-season trainers filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape and assault in 2017 and 2018.
Brown counter-sued his accuser, and his then-attorney said in a statement that the relationship was consensual and all of the accusations were denied by the athlete.
Brown played once for the Patriots, but was released after less than a month.
He released a song, Whole Lotta Money, last month, and announced that he "only wants to play" with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, telling Brady to "call me."
Earlier this month, Brown posted an Instagram video of him throwing penis-shaped gummy candy at Florida police and his former girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss.
In the video, Brown could be seen telling police to incarcerate the mother of his three children, with the New York Post reporting that the disagreement came because of his belief that she had tried to steal his Bentley car.
He also challenged YouTube star Logan Paul to a fight via Twitter, to which Paul replied: “I’d drop you faster than the Patriots.”
Brown, who posed with former heavyweight boxing champions Wladimir Klitschko outside a gym two weeks ago, told his 3.7 million Instagram followers that Floyd Mayweather could train him for a fight with Paul.
One man who is unlikely to be involved in promoting any contest between Brown and Paul is Drew Rosenhaus, Brown’s long-term agent, who has said he wants to end their relationship until Brown receives help.
Speaking last week, pundit Stephen A Smith echoed Rosenhaus’s views, telling ESPN: “I feel incredibly sorry for what I’m witnessing taking place in the life of Antonio Brown."
The commentator, who had previously been invited by Brown via Twitter to "exchange words" with him on Brown's home turf, observed: “He’s clearly not all there. He’s all over the place emotionally, we all know that.”