Dez Bryant, mother Angela ask police to drop assault charge
Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys speaks to teammates at Cowboys Stadium on November 13, 2011 in Arlington, Texas.
NFL star Dez Bryant’s mother, Angela, asked prosecutors to drop their domestic violence charges against her son, saying they will work out their differences through counseling.
They appeared together at a news conference in Dallas, where Bryant plays wide-receiver for the Cowboys.
“Did a family disagreement occur? Yes,” a joint statement read by Bryant’s lawyer, Royce West, said. “Did Dez Bryant commit family violence against his mother? No.”
On July 14, Angela Bryant called 911 saying she needed to “put an end to it,” ESPN said.
“I can’t keep letting him do this,” she told the 911 operator, according to ESPN. “I can’t keep letting him do me like this. I’m tired. I’m going to put an end to it today.”
Police reports say Bryant and his stepbrother were arguing in their mother’s home.
Bryant allegedly hit his mother in the face with his baseball cap and grabbed her T-shirt, tearing her bra strap in the process.
Police arrested him two days later on a Class A misdemeanor charge, and then released him after a few hours.
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Angela Bryant had a swollen hand and bruised arms after the incident, The Associated Press said.
However, she later asked police to drop charges, something they reaffirmed today during the news conference.
“They are here today to show they do love and support each other, just as much as they did before the incident a week ago. But like all families, the Bryants have disagreements,” the statement read.
According to the AP, prosecutors can still proceed with the charge – which carries a maximum year in jail and $4,000 fine – but it becomes more difficult with the “affidavit of non-prosecution” filed by Angela.
The state hasn’t announced if it will pursue the charge.
Bryant is one of the Cowboys leading receivers, but no stranger to trouble.
The NCAA suspended him most of his final year at Oklahoma State University for violations, and creditors sued him for unpaid bills, the AP said.
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