By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times
Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner, who was part of the original incarnation of the Legion of Boom from 2011-13, has been charged with attempted murder as well as five other offenses in relation to an incident Sunday in La Verne, Calif., and could face life in prison if convicted.
A press release from the La Verne Police Department detailed the charges, which stemmed from an incident in which Browner is alleged to have broken into his former girlfriend’s home and smothered her in a carpet, according to TMZ and other outlets.
Browner has also been charged with robbery, burglary and false imprisonment, all felonies, as well as two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment.
Browner is accused of breaking through a locked window and also stealing his former girlfriend’s $20,000 Rolex watch, according to a TMZ report. Her two children were present when the alleged abuse occurred. Browner fled the scene but was later arrested without further incident Sunday afternoon.
According to multiple reports, bail has been set at $10 million for Browner, who is being held at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.
Browner is reported to have had a previous relationship with the alleged victim and had an earlier domestic violence charge involving the victim and had a restraining order prohibiting contact with the alleged victim. The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Browner last month pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and cruelty to a child by inflicting injury. That stemmed from an incident in May involving the same alleged victim, identified by the Times as Marin Foster.
According to the Times, prosecutors alleged then that Browner inflicted “unjustifiable pain and mental suffering” against Foster’s 2-year-old and used “force and violence” against Foster. Browner received one day in jail, three years of probation, 48 hours of community service and an order requesting him to stay away from the victims for three years. The Times reported that Foster had asked for a temporary restraining order against Browner last September alleging previous instances of abuse.
The Times and other outlets reported that it is unclear if Browner has a lawyer and that he is scheduled to be arraigned on July 30.
Browner, 33, played at Oregon State and then spent parts of the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Denver Broncos (without playing in a game) before playing four seasons with Calgary in the Canadian Football League.
He signed as a free agent with the Seahawks in January 2011 and that season emerged as a starter in the team’s secondary along with Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, forming a group that would soon be tabbed as the Legion of Boom. Browner was named to the Pro Bowl following that season.
Browner started 12 games in 2012 and eight more in 2013 before suffering a season-ending injury while also being suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He did not play in the postseason, as the Seahawks went on to win the Super Bowl, and after the season signed with New England. He played with the Patriots in 2014 as New England went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl.
Browner spent the 2015 season with New Orleans before signing again with the Seahawks in the spring of 2016 but was released in late August.
Browner has not played in the NFL since but had played in the American Flag Football League as part of the Roadrunners, participating in his last game with the team on Saturday night in Kennesaw, Ga., according to NFL.com.
LA County District Attorney’s Office says the 33-year-old was charged Tuesday with attempted murder, first-degree residential robbery and other counts. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer. Arraignment is scheduled for July 30.
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