A new Dez Bryant video shows the former Dallas Cowboys star seemingly slapping a teenager’s cellphone out of his hand during a heated confrontation in Southlake, Texas, before police arrived with their guns drawn. The October 25 incident, which reportedly started with a disagreement over driving, ended with Bryant receiving a misdemeanor assault citation after officers detained several people involved in the dispute.
Video
The footage, obtained by the California Post and reported on October 27, captures the 37-year-old former NFL receiver arguing with 19-year-old Noah Reyes and his friend, 19-year-old Terrance Avery, in a restaurant parking lot. What began as an apparent traffic dispute quickly escalated into a tense confrontation involving threats, accusations about a possible firearm, and a cellphone being knocked to the pavement.In the recording, Bryant appears visibly upset while confronting the teenagers. At one point, he accuses Reyes of recording him and warns him to stop. Bryant can be heard saying, “I’m not playing with you,” before knocking the phone from Reyes’ hand. He then picks up the device and forcefully throws it back onto the pavement as the argument continues.
The video also captures the former athlete repeatedly confronting the young men. At one point, he warns Avery to get his friend before the situation escalates further. The footage reportedly shows Bryant taking another swing toward Reyes’ phone after the teenager retrieves it. Reyes alleges that the second motion struck his hand, leaving him with an injury.
According to Southlake police, the encounter began near Kimball Avenue after Bryant reported that another driver had cut him off in traffic. Both parties subsequently drove into a retail parking lot along the 2200 block of FM 1709, where the argument continued.
Bryant has maintained that the teenagers were driving recklessly and that one of them threatened to shoot him. During an interview with OutKick, the former Cowboys player acknowledged knocking the cellphone away but insisted he was responding to what he believed was a threat.
“I knocked the phone out of his hand,” Bryant admitted while discussing the encounter.
The teenagers, however, have disputed Bryant’s account. Reyes and Avery told local reporters they were heading to a restaurant after church when they encountered Bryant on the road. They explained that they had been honking at each other while driving and were attempting to move into the right lane when the situation developed.
Both denied threatening Bryant with a gun.
The video provides a closer look at the argument before police arrived, although it does not independently establish everything that happened on the road beforehand. The teenagers maintain that Bryant followed them into the parking lot and confronted them after they stopped their vehicles.
Reyes has also alleged that he was physically injured during the exchange. He claims Bryant struck his hand while attempting to knock the phone away again and damaged his phone’s screen protector. Reyes has publicly expressed his intention to pursue legal action against Bryant, although a civil lawsuit had not been independently confirmed as filed at the time of reporting.
The situation became even more serious when Southlake police arrived shortly before 1 p.m. Officers had received multiple calls about the confrontation, including reports that someone at the scene might have a weapon.
According to the department, officers drew their firearms upon arrival because of the potential threat. Several individuals, including Bryant, were temporarily detained while police investigated.
No firearms were recovered at the scene.
Separate footage shared by Bryant shows him and two other men lying face down in the parking lot while handcuffed, with an armed officer nearby. Bryant has criticized the police response, particularly because his girlfriend arrived with his daughters during the incident.
He told OutKick that his primary concern was his children witnessing him restrained on the ground while an officer had a weapon pointed in his direction.
Bryant also questioned why he was the person cited when he believed he had been threatened first. He has called for a more thorough investigation and suggested that additional surveillance footage from the area could help establish what led to the confrontation.
Meanwhile, the Dez Bryant video showing the earlier argument has provided a perspective that was not included in the footage Bryant initially shared of his encounter with police.
After investigating, Southlake officers issued Bryant a citation for assault by contact, a Class C misdemeanor under Texas law. He was released at the scene and was not arrested. The citation requires Bryant to appear in Southlake Municipal Court on or before November 20, 2026.
Bryant spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys between 2010 and 2017, becoming one of the franchise’s most recognizable receivers. The three-time Pro Bowl selection later appeared with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2020 season.
Bryant is expected to address the citation in municipal court by November 20.
