Former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant received a Class C misdemeanor citation for assault by contact following a traffic dispute and parking lot confrontation in Southlake, Texas, on Sunday, October 25, 2026, drawing guns from responding police and prompting demands from the athlete for a full investigation.
Police Respond to Southlake Parking Lot Dispute
Desmond Bryant, 37, reported that two motorists cut him off in traffic before the confrontation moved into a nearby retail parking lot near a restaurant, where the argument escalated between Bryant and the other drivers. The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. near Kimball Avenue and the 2200 block of FM 1709 in Southlake, Texas, when Desmond Bryant, 37, reported that two motorists cut him off in traffic.
Bryant stated that one of the men threatened to shoot him during the exchange. You pull that gun, I’m telling you right now, you better use it because if you don’t I’m going to do something to you,
Bryant recalled telling the individual, according to interviews with Outkick.
🚨OUTKICK EXCLUSIVE: A confrontation with alleged reckless drivers ends with Dez Bryant on the ground in handcuffs.Police point a gun at the former Cowboys star as his daughters watch. Bryant was cited for assault following the incident. pic.twitter.com/DOpnR4WMLP
The player asserted that the confrontation felt heavily one-sided and called for authorities to perform a more comprehensive examination of the surrounding circumstances rather than relying primarily on partial recordings. Pointing to the events that preceded the police arrival, he maintained that officials ought to conduct a complete review of surveillance footage covering the initial driving dispute.
Bryant entered the league as a first-round selection in 2010 when the Dallas franchise drafted the Oklahoma State product with the 24th overall pick.
During his tenure in Dallas running from 2010 through 2017, he hauled in 531 receptions covering 7,459 yards alongside a franchise record of 73 touchdowns while collecting three Pro Bowl nods over nine total seasons in the NFL. Following his extensive run with the Cowboys, he later spent time with the New Orleans Saints during the 2018 campaign and played for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020.
Video Footage and Conflicting Driver Accounts
The two other individuals involved in the dispute were identified as 19-year-old Noah Reyes and Terrence Avery. According to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Reyes and Avery were headed to eat after church and had been honking at each other while driving before recognizing Bryant.
Avery maintained that their sudden acceleration to enter the right lane was never intended to provoke anyone. We sped off at a light, accelerated hard. We didn’t swerve at him. We didn’t do nothing that involved him or anything to provoke him,
Avery said, as reported by FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
Reyes asserted that Bryant delivered repeated threats during the argument. Every five seconds, he was threatening us to beat us to the ground, stomp us in, kill us,
Reyes told FOX 4.
Reyes noted that his height stands around 5 feet 8 inches with a weight of roughly 130 pounds, contrasting sharply with the athletic build listed during his counterpart’s playing career at 6 feet 2 inches and 220 pounds.
Cellular recordings captured differing phases of the encounter. While Bryant’s footage documents the subsequent police response, footage shared by Reyes and Avery shows Bryant slapping a phone out of a man’s hand. Bryant acknowledged knocking the phone away but maintained he acted in self-defense after the threats were made.
Officers Draw Firearms During Southlake Response
Multiple 911 calls reporting a fight and a possible weapon brought Southlake Police Department officers to the scene. Capt. Blas Hernandez, a department spokesman, stated that officers drew their firearms upon arrival as a precaution to address potential threats and ensure safety.
Several callers reported that multiple individuals were involved in the altercation as well as a possible weapon. Based on that information, officers drew their firearms upon arrival as a precaution to address any potential threats and ensure the safety of everyone at the scene. Several individuals were temporarily detained as part of the investigation. No firearms were recovered at the scene.
Southlake Police Department, via California Post
Bryant’s girlfriend arrived shortly afterward with his daughters and recorded the scene from her vehicle. Bryant expressed deep concern over seeing officers point weapons while he and others were detained in handcuffs on the ground. I was really more so concerned about my children, you know, looking at their dad being on the ground with a gun pointed at me,
Bryant told Outkick.
Recalling instructions given at the scene, Bryant noted that an officer advised him to be the bigger person during the chaos. He argued that the investigative process proved overly one-sided, suggesting that law enforcement should have transported all participants to a station for a thorough interrogation rather than letting certain individuals depart immediately.
Court Date Set Following Misdemeanor Citation
Following separate interviews with the individuals involved, officers permitted Reyes and Avery to leave while issuing Bryant a citation for assault by contact, a Class C misdemeanor under Texas law. The offense carries a maximum fine of up to $500.
Bryant was not arrested at the scene. He is scheduled to appear in Southlake Municipal Court on or before November 20, 2026. Meanwhile, Reyes has indicated plans to pursue civil action against Bryant over an alleged injury to his hand.