Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant was reportedly detained by police after a road rage incident in Southlake, Texas.
Bryant, who played eight years for the Cowboys, said that a recent confrontation in a parking lot in Southlake, Texas, ended with police pointing a gun at him after detaining him in handcuffs, according to a report from Outkick.
The former receiver alleges the incident began when he saw two vehicles with occupants driving recklessly and told them to drive safer while at a stoplight. The situation escalated when Bryant and the two other drivers stopped in the same restaurant parking lot to confront each other. One of the men threatened to shoot Bryant, he said.
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According to Bryant, the man who threatened to shoot him then pulled out his phone to record the interaction, after which the former receiver knocked the phone out of his hand. The man then said he'd call the police, which Bryant said he encouraged.
When police arrived, Bryant said one of the officers pulled out a gun and told all three men to get on the ground, where they were detained with handcuffs. A video Outkick posted on social media shows the three men on the ground in handcuffs and multiple police officers standing with rifles.
USA TODAY Sports has requested copies of the citation, police report and body and dashcam footage from the Southlake Police Department.
Bryant said police interviewed the three parties involved separately, allowing the two other drivers to leave but issuing him a citation for assault.
Outkick reported the citation was for "Assault by Contact," a Class C misdemeanor in Texas, which is punishable by a fine of up to $500. The citation reportedly includes a court date of Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.
Bryant has reportedly maintained his actions were in self-defense. He also expressed that he wished the officers underwent a full investigation of the incident without detaining him in handcuffs in front of his children, according to Outkick.
"I would rather you guys take us all down to the police station and do the proper investigation instead of just taking somebody else's side," Bryant said. "I felt like it was very one-sided."
Bryant played nine years in the NFL. He last played for the Ravens in 2020, but he spent most of his career in Dallas. During his Cowboys tenure – between 2010 and 2017 – he caught 531 passes for 7,459 yards and a franchise-record 73 touchdowns while earning three Pro Bowl selections.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Cowboys WR detained at gunpoint in Texas road rage incident
