Raiders' Brown says he settled balcony incident

ByPaul Gutierrez ESPN logo
Tuesday, July 9, 2019

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown announced Monday night that he reached a settlement in an incident from April 2018 in which he allegedly yelled at security and threw items off a South Florida apartment balcony.

"The legal dispute between Ophir Sternberg and me has been resolved, with a confidential sum of funds being donated to charity," Brown wrote on Twitter. "I am sorry that an incident occurred. I apologize for any statements we made in court filings or otherwise to Mr. Sternberg and family. I wish Mr. Sternberg my best with regard to future endeavors and through this settlement, seek to make amends with Mr. Sternberg and family."

Brown faced a pair of lawsuits for "damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of" attorney fees and interest, according to documents obtained by ESPN in October.

The documents said a 2-year-old boy's guardian sued Brown for "intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault" after items flung from the 14th floor of The Mansions at Acqualina nearly hit the child, per Miami-Dade County court filings. The child, per the report, was with his grandfather near the pool area of the complex when items that included two vases, an ottoman and other pieces of furniture fell close to them. The child, the court filing claimed, had experienced anxiety and trouble sleeping since the incident.

"Mr. Brown's out of control and inexcusable behavior could have killed my son," Sternberg said in a statement in October. "His reckless tantrum displayed complete disregard for the safety of others. We intend to hold Mr. Brown accountable, to hopefully ensure that something like this never happens again."

Brown, who was with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time, also faced a case filed by the owner of the condo Brown leased for damages and breaching the lease.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN at the time that the league was closely monitoring the situation.

Brown was acquired by the Raiders in a trade for a third- and a fifth-round draft pick on March 13 and has been lauded for his work ethic and leadership in Oakland's offseason program.

"It's a sad day for seeing me leave," Brown told ESPN upon arriving in Oakland. "To all the kids, man, live your dreams. Continue to work hard. Hopefully, I can continue to encourage you."

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