Dez Bryant became embroiled in an unexpected controversy after a road-rage confrontation in Southlake, Texas, ended with police detaining him and issuing a citation.
Shocking new footage of the incident shows the former Dallas Cowboys star being handcuffed by police, with at least one officer pointing a large firearm at him during a chaotic altercation outside a Texas restaurant on Sunday.
Bryant recounts the road-rage confrontation
Bryant told OutKick that the incident started at a traffic light, where he noticed two vehicles whose occupants he believed were driving recklessly.
The former Cowboys star claimed the two drivers cut him off as they approached a road near the restaurant. When they later arrived at the establishment’s parking lot, Bryant got into an argument with one of the men over the driving incident.
Dispute escalates outside Texas restaurant
He alleged that the man threatened him, saying "he'll shoot me or whatever."
"I told him, I said, 'Hey, man, 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 said, adding that the man did not appear to have a gun on him at the time.
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{{/usCountry}}Bryant further claimed that the man began recording him on his phone, prompting him to knock the device out of the man's hand.
"I knocked the phone out of his hand," Bryant said. The man then threatened to call the police, a move Bryant welcomed because he believed he was the victim in the confrontation.
"And first thing he said was, 'I'm fitting to call the police.' I said, 'Call them. You're threatening me, so it's all good. I have the right to protect myself,’” he added.
Police arrive and handcuff Bryant
According to video obtained by OutKick, several police officers arrived shortly afterward, drew their firearms and handcuffed the people involved in the confrontation.
Footage showed Bryant lying face-down with his hands behind his back as he repeatedly shouted, “He threatened me.”
The 37-year-old told OutKick that officers briefly looked into the incident but ultimately appeared to side with the two men involved. He said one officer urged him to "be the bigger person," despite the confrontation taking place in front of his children.
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"I was really more so concerned about my children, you know, looking at their dad, you know, being on the ground with a gun pointed at me," Bryant said. "I asked him, 'How can I be the bigger person?'" he added, explaining that his children witnessed the scene.
Bryant said officers cited him for assault and scheduled a future court appearance before allowing him to leave.