Dez Bryant cited for assault after Southlake parking lot dispute

37-year-old former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was cited for a Class C misdemeanor assault after a traffic dispute turned physical in a Southlake parking lot on Sunday. The incident involved two 19-year-old men and prompted a police response where officers arrived with their weapons drawn.

Southlake police said dispatchers received calls about a fight at a retail parking lot in the 2200 block of FM 1709 around 12:59 p.m. on Oct. 25. Callers reported that multiple people were involved and that a weapon might be present. Officers drew their firearms upon arrival as a safety precaution, though no guns were found at the scene.

Police reports state that the conflict began near the intersection of Kimball Avenue and Southlake Boulevard. Bryant told officers that another driver had cut him off in traffic. Both parties then moved their vehicles into a nearby parking lot, where the disagreement escalated into an alleged physical altercation.

Bryant was released at the scene after receiving a citation for assault by contact. He later told the sports media outlet OutKick that the teenagers had cut him off in traffic and that one of them threatened to shoot him.

The two young men, Noah Reyes and Terrance Avery, offered a different account to NBC 5. They said they were leaving church and heading to a restaurant when the encounter started. Reyes said Avery was honking his horn at him as a joke when they noticed Bryant in a nearby vehicle. Reyes recalled looking over to his right and recognizing the former star.

"And I look over to my right, and I look, and I double look, I'm like, well that's Des Bryant," Reyes said.

The pair denied cutting Bryant off or driving recklessly. They described the light turning green and accelerating into the restaurant parking lot. Reyes and Avery said Bryant exited his SUV to confront them. Avery stated he tried to calm the situation rather than argue.

"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.

Video provided to NBC 5 shows Bryant shouting at Reyes before knocking a phone out of his hand. The teenagers allege Bryant picked up the phone and threw it on the ground. Reyes said he felt intimidated during the exchange, noting his age and the setting. "I'm 19 years old, I'm a kid. Why are you picking on me?" Reyes said.

The two also disputed the claim that one of them threatened to shoot Bryant. Avery pointed out that they were leaving a religious service and that 19-year-olds are not legally permitted to carry firearms. "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 scene. Avery described the moment as frightening, particularly when officers arrived with their guns out. "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?" Avery said. Reyes added that the moment felt insane.

Bryant has not responded to requests for comment regarding the teenagers' version of events.