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Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Darrell Armstrong, 56, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, February 15, on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to reports, Armstrong allegedly struck his girlfriend with a gun and threatened to shoot her following an argument.
Dallas police responded to a distress call around 3:45 a.m. at an apartment on Ross Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found the victim standing in a nearby parking lot with her father. According to an affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News, the woman told police that Armstrong had been drinking when an argument erupted over a text message he had received from another woman. During the altercation, Armstrong allegedly hit her on the right side of her face with a gun.
The affidavit further states that Armstrong loaded a full magazine into the firearm and said, "I'm going to shoot you." The woman fled the apartment and called her family and police. When officers arrived, they observed a visible mark on her cheek. Armstrong was detained without incident, and police recovered a pistol from the apartment. Armstrong later claimed he had been sleeping with the weapon, which had a loaded magazine but no bullet in the chamber.
Dallas Fire Rescue treated the victim at the scene. Reports also indicate that Armstrong had allegedly strangled the victim in a previous incident, but she had been too afraid to report it, fearing it could jeopardize his career.
Following Armstrong's arrest, the Mavericks issued a statement acknowledging the incident, stating, "The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident involving a member of our staff and are gathering all relevant information surrounding the incident." They further added, "We take this matter seriously. The employee has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings."
Armstrong, who has since posted bail, has been with the Mavericks' coaching staff since 2009 and is in his 10th season as an assistant coach. Before his coaching career, he played in the NBA for 14 seasons, including two with the Mavericks from 2004 to 2006.
His attorney, Larry Taylor of the Cochran Firm, stated, "We are in the preliminary stages of conducting our own independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding yesterday's incident involving my client Darrell Armstrong. We will have more to say about this incident in the coming days."
The case remains under legal review, and no further statements have been issued by the NBA, the Dallas Police Department, or the Mavericks organization.
