TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — Officers with the Tampa Bay Police Department have been trying to get former Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown to come out of his house after an arrest warrant was issued.
Police used a megaphone to call out to Brown, asking him to surrender. Police told Brown they'd already spoken with his attorney. Officers were also seen knocking on Brown's door, and could be heard saying, "We're not going anywhere."
The arrest warrant comes after Tampa Police were denied a temporary ex parte risk protection order for Brown. In the protection order request, Tampa Police alleged Brown "poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to him or herself or others in the near future and beyond by having a firearm or any ammunition in their custody or control or by purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm or any ammunition."
Tampa Police said in the protection order request that Brown had access to two guns, including one handgun he carries.
According to the affidavit attached to the protection order request, police said Brown "was involved in a recent act or threat of violence against themselves or other others; was engaged in an act or threat of violence, including but not limited to acts or threats of violence against themselves, within the past 12 months; may be seriously mentally ill or may have recurring mental health issues; has used or threatened to use, against themselves or others, any weapons; and has been arrested for, convicted or, had adjudication withheld, or pled nolo contendere to a crime involving violence or a threat of violence in Florida or in any other state."
The protection order request and arrest warrant came after an incident between Brown and the mother of several of his children on Wednesday.
During the incident, Tampa police said Brown began throwing the woman's belongings out of the house. At some point, before police arrived, Brown allegedly came out of the home and "threw a shoe at the victim striking her in the ponytail."
By the time police arrived, Brown had allegedly locked all of the doors and windows to the home and refused to come out.
Police said Brown offered to let the children go inside the home, "but the kids did not want to go inside because they were afraid of their dad when he gets in these destructive moods."
Police said they made multiple attempts to get Brown to open the home but were never successful. According to police, Brown had placed an informal eviction notice on the door and repeatedly said the woman had no right to be at or enter the home.
The woman eventually left with her children and was told by Tampa police to "spend the night at a hotel or friends (sic) house and just let suspect cool down and not try to have any contact with him for a few weeks as not to instigate the situation any further while law enforcement action is taken."
This story was originally reported by Tim Kephart and Jillian Ramos on abcactionnews.com.
