Dez Bryant and his mother, Angela Bryant, held a joint news conference Tuesday to discuss a domestic incident that led to the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver's arrest.
"I would love to make a statement, but I can't," Dez Bryant said, via ESPNDallas.com.
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Yes, that's all he said to the media at the session. His legal counsel, Royce White, who set up the shindig, advised Bryant not to talk. White read a written statement aloud. He wanted to make a show of solidarity between Dez and his mother.
"Did a family disagreement occur? Yes," White said in the prepared statement. "Did Dez Bryant commit family violence against his mother? No."
Angela Bryant, 37, told the police after the July 14 incident that Dez Bryant hit her in the face with a ball cap and ripped her bra. She said Dez was "trying to kill me" in her 911 call. She does not want to press charges, and White made that clear in his statement. The family asked the public not to "rush to judgment" about the incident.
The case filed to the Dallas County district attorney by the DeSoto (Texas) police includes an affidavit of non-prosecution from the complainant Angela Bryant. The affidavit means the complainant doesn't want to proceed.
"Dez and his mother believe this is a family matter that can be worked out through counseling," White said.
But Dallas County district attorney spokesperson Jamille Bradfield told NFL.com and NFL Network before the Bryant family's news conference that Angela Bryant's request not to proceed with the charge "does not make the case go away. We will still evaluate it."
Bryant eventually will have to answer questions from the media when he is at Cowboys training camp. He also might have to answer questions from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Even if charges are dropped as Angela Bryant's wishes, Dez Bryant still potentially could face punishment from the NFL.