Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant was allegedly targeted and set up in a parking lot altercation in an effort to create a viral moment, according to Bryant's attorney, Levi McCathern.
Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was cited for assault by contact, a Class C misdemeanor in Texas, following the incident with 19-year-old Noah Reyes. McCathern stated that Reyes drove recklessly in an attempt to provoke Bryant, cutting him off and slamming on his brakes.
"Dez didn’t start this. He was targeted by someone who wanted a reaction, and they got one," McCathern told OutKick in a statement. "Here’s what actually happened. Dez was driving to dinner when Mr. Reyes and his crew started driving recklessly around him. They cut Dez off. They slammed on their brakes in front of him. That isn’t just Dez’s account. Multiple people have come forward to say they saw Mr. Reyes and his crew driving recklessly and putting lives at risk on a public road."
According to McCathern, when Reyes failed to elicit the desired reaction, he allegedly threatened to shoot Bryant. "What is a person supposed to do with that? Between what Mr. Reyes was saying and what Dez saw him doing, Dez believed he was in real danger. He had no way of knowing whether there was a gun. No one in that moment would," McCathern said.
McCathern also asserted that witnesses have corroborated Bryant's account and that Reyes has exhibited similar behavior toward others, suggesting the confrontation was staged. "Based on what they’ve told us, we believe this was never an accident. It was set up to provoke Dez into a public confrontation and create a viral moment, on camera," the attorney stated.
"The video going around doesn’t show the driving, and it doesn’t show the threat. It shows exactly what it was meant to show: the reaction. We said the full story would look very different. It does."
Bryant is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on December 2. He played nine seasons in the NFL, spending eight with the Cowboys and his final season with the Baltimore Ravens. In 119 games, Bryant recorded 537 receptions for 7,506 yards and 75 touchdowns.