Dez Bryant Cited for Misdemeanor Assault in Southlake Dispute
The former Cowboys receiver was cited after a traffic disagreement with two 19-year-olds escalated into a physical confrontation in a parking lot.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was issued a citation for misdemeanor assault on Sunday following a dispute with two young men in Southlake. The incident occurred in a retail parking lot on FM 1709 near Kimball Avenue. Police arrived to find a fight involving multiple people and reported the presence of a potential weapon.
Southlake police responded to the scene at 12:59 p.m. on Oct. 25. Officers drew their firearms upon arrival as a precaution due to the reported weapon. No guns were recovered at the location. Bryant, 37, was cited for assault by contact, a Class C misdemeanor, and released at the scene.
The confrontation began when Bryant claimed another motorist had cut him off in traffic. Both vehicles entered the parking lot, where the argument intensified. According to police, the verbal dispute turned into an alleged assault. Bryant told OutKick that the teenagers cut him off and that one threatened to shoot him.
Noah Reyes and Terrance Avery, both 19, dispute that version of events. They told NBC 5 they were heading to a restaurant after church when the encounter started at a traffic light. Reyes said Avery was honking his horn at him as a joke when he noticed Bryant in a nearby vehicle.
"And I look over to my right, and I look, and I double look, I'm like, well that's Des Bryant," Reyes said. When the light turned green, they accelerated into the restaurant parking lot. The teenagers deny cutting Bryant off or driving recklessly.
Video provided to NBC 5 shows Bryant confronting the two men in the parking lot. The footage captures Bryant shouting at Reyes before slapping a phone out of his hand. Avery said he tried to de-escalate the situation. "I never even got in an argument with him. Whole time I'm talking to him, I'm trying to de-escalate the situation and get him to calm down. He just was on 10," Avery said.
The teenagers allege Bryant picked up the phone and threw it on the ground. Reyes said he felt intimidated during the exchange. "I'm 19 years old, I'm a kid. Why are you picking on me?" Reyes said. The pair also denied that anyone threatened Bryant with a gun. "Not at all. I mean, we were leaving church. We're 19-year-old kids. We're not legally allowed to have a gun. And what dude in the right mind would bring a gun to church?" Avery said.
Police temporarily detained several people while investigating the incident. Avery described the arrival of officers with drawn guns as frightening. "The whole situation was scary, I mean. I feared for my life for this dude, and then I'm scared about getting shot by a cop, you know?" he said. Reyes added, "The whole moment itself was just insane." Bryant has not responded to requests for comment regarding the teenagers' account.
Source: KXAS-TV
