Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, who has had a tumultuous off-the-field existence, was arrested Monday after turning himself in to DeSoto, Tx police. The charge: misdemeanor domestic violence against a female family friend, DeSoto (Texas) police confirmed.
Bryant was booked around an event that allegedly occurred Saturday, police said. No further information was immediately available.
A source said late Monday night that Bryant was in an argument with his half brother and wound up pushing his mother, Angela. According to the source, police responded to a call , but no arrests were made at that point. Further examination of the reports resulted in Monday’s arrest, the source said.
Bryant was charged with a Class A misdemeanor for assaulting a female family member, police told KDFW-TV in Dallas. The woman did not need to be taken to the hospital for her injuries, the report said.
The station said police declined to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the arrest or Bryant’s relationship to the alleged victim.
Bryant’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, declined to comment. The Cowboys said they were aware of the incident late Monday.
The Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. The arrest also subjects Bryant to possible penalty under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
This is Bryant’s first arrest, but it is not his first incident that required police involvement since the Cowboys traded up to select the former Oklahoma State star with the 24th overall pick in the 2010 draft.
In January, Bryant was detained by police but not arrested after an alleged altercation at a Miami Beach night club.
Last summer, off-duty police working as security at an upscale Dallas mall kicked Bryant and friends out of the mall because of inappropriate attire (sagging pants) and language. Bryant was temporarily banned from the mall.
Bryant, who was widely considered a top-10 talent but slipped in the draft due to teams’ character concerns, has also been sued for unpaid debts for jewelry and sports tickets from before he was drafted.
