HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A South Florida Police Athletic League is severing ties with former NFL wide receiver and resident Antonio Brown.
The Hollywood Police Department issued a lengthy statement Monday explaining the decision to refund a check donated by Brown to its Police Athletic League, hours after TMZ released cellphone video showing Brown shouting obscenities at an officer during a domestic disturbance Monday at Brown’s home.
"Antonio Brown had a relationship with the Hollywood Police Department Police Athletic League for a number of years” Officer Christian Lata said in the statement. “He was helpful monetarily and with his personal time that he shared with the children. Recently, Mr. Brown has had incidents which necessitated police intervention. These incidents have caused an irreparable rift between the Police Department and PAL and Mr. Brown.”
In the video released by TMZ, Brown can be heard speaking to an officer about Chelsie Kyriss, who shares a home with Brown. Throughout the video, Brown can be heard shouting profanities at Kyriss and officers.
“Needless to say, we were very disappointed in the actions of Mr. Brown,” Lata said. “This type of behavior and communication with officers is completely opposite of what we teach and instill in the youth of our community in the way of respect for parents, teachers, elders and all those in positions of authority.”
Efforts to speak with Brown were unsuccessful, leading to the decision to cut ties with Brown, Lata said.
“We did not want our youth to be subject to this type of behavior nor emulate the actions of Mr. Brown,” Lata said.
The check donated by Brown for a seven-on-seven football league was returned to him Thursday, Lata said, adding that the league has been operating since last year, “well before Mr. Brown made his donation.”
“This league was not dependent on his donation or involvement,” Lata said. “We will not take money from a donor that we cannot have our youth be proud of or represent our organization. Mr. Brown was given a trespass warning for the Police Athletic League property because we did not want him to continue to affect our youth nor influence them in a negative way.”
Lata said police returned to Brown’s home Monday for another domestic disturbance.
“During the incident, Mr. Brown was very rude and disrespectful,” Lata said. “He used very degrading language in front of his young children. Again, not an example that we want the youth of Hollywood to witness nor emulate.”
It’s the latest fallout for the seven-time Pro Bowl player, who requested a trade after nine years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brown spent the offseason with the Oakland Raiders but was released after publicly demanding a trade. The Miami Norland Senior High School graduate was then signed by the Patriots and played in one game for New England -- a 43-0 win against his hometown Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium -- before being released amid lingering rape allegations.
He was described as “belligerent and pugnacious” during an October deposition in Aventura pertaining to a pending lawsuit. That deposition had to be rescheduled last month.
Brown took to Twitter, claiming he can show the Hollywood Police Department’s “track record” of consistent “injustice” against him.
Hollywood police and I need a meeting unless I’m going to show their track record of my injustice consistently
— AB (@AB84) January 13, 2020
“Mr. Brown is free to say whatever he likes on social media,” Lata added. “However, the facts of these instances speak for themselves.”