Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is facing a misdemeanor citation after a traffic dispute in Southlake, Texas, ended with police drawing weapons in a restaurant parking lot — and Bryant being the only person cited at the scene. A video of the incident has been circulating widely, and both sides have now given their accounts.
Southlake Police responded Sunday to a call reporting a “possible weapon” following a traffic incident off East Southlake Boulevard, near the Chiloso restaurant. Officers drew their firearms as a precaution upon arrival, according to the department’s official statement. No firearms were recovered. Bryant was issued a citation for “assault by contact,” a Class C misdemeanor, and released at the scene. On X, Bryant confirmed he slapped a cellphone out of a man’s hand after asking him repeatedly to stop recording, and stated the other driver had verbally suggested he might shoot Bryant. The teens involved — identified as Noah Reyes and Avery, both 19 — told CBS Texas that Bryant had followed their vehicle to the Chiloso restaurant parking lot. Bryant has a Southlake Municipal Court date set for November 20.
Legally, Bryant faces no jail time. A Class C misdemeanor citation for “assault by contact” carries a maximum fine of $500. The altercation also clarifies something broader: physically removing a phone from someone’s hand during an argument can constitute citable assault under Texas law, regardless of what the other party said first.
The exact sequence that brought weapons out is visible in Bryant’s own X posts. He wrote that the teen never produced a weapon — only verbally threatened to shoot him — and that he had welcomed the other driver calling the police because he believed officers would investigate the reckless driving and the verbal threat made against him. Instead, because the 911 dispatch relayed a “possible weapon” at the Chiloso parking lot, Southlake PD responded to a high-risk call protocol. That combination — Bryant knocking the phone away on video, plus “possible weapon” on dispatch — produced drawn firearms, and the only citation issued at the scene went to Bryant.
What was Dez Bryant charged with in Southlake? Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was not arrested, but Southlake Police issued him a Class C misdemeanor citation for “assault by contact” and released him at the scene. The citation stemmed from Bryant slapping a cellphone out of a teenager’s hand during a parking lot argument off East Southlake Boulevard. His court date is set for November 20 at Southlake Municipal Court.
Southlake Police Department may release bodycam footage from the incident. Check back if footage becomes public.
