DALLAS — An assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, Darrell Armstrong, was arrested Saturday for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to WFAA.
Armstrong, 56, and the victim were in an argument when he hit the woman with a gun and threatened to shoot her, Dallas PD and sources told WFAA.
According to an arrest affidavit, officers responded to a call at 1001 Ross Ave., an apartment complex in downtown Dallas, at about 2:15 a.m. on Saturday. Upon arrival, the officers found the victim at a nearby parking lot waiting with her father, the affidavit stated.
The victim, who has been in a months-long relationship with Armstrong per the document, told police she saw a text message from another woman on his phone, leading to a verbal argument. The victim told police that Armstrong, 56, had been drinking, and became irate during the argument, demanding the apartment keys, which she gave him, the affidavit read.
At that point, while on the phone with another person, Armstrong picked up a pistol, walked around the kitchen island and struck the victim on the right side of her face with the gun, the document stated. Per the document, Armstrong then loaded the gun with a full magazine and said “I am going to shoot you.”
The victim told police she then left the apartment and walked to the 7-Eleven on the corner of Ross Avenue and N. Griffin Street to wait for family to arrive, the affidavit read. Responding officers reported seeing a mark on the victim’s right cheek, per the document.
According to the affidavit, officers spoke to a witness who said they had seen Armstrong drinking and swearing at the victim.
The affidavit stated that officers knocked on the apartment door and took Armstrong into custody without incident. Officers found the pistol under the couch where Armstrong stated he was sleeping with a loaded magazine but no bullet in the chamber, the document said.
Per the affidavit, the victim and Armstrong had been in an “intimate/cohabitating relationship since September of 2024.” The document also stated that before Saturday’s offense, there had been multiple instances of family violence — including an incident where the victim said Armstrong strangled her — that were not reported to police because she did not want to get Armstrong “into any trouble or cause him to lose his job.”
According to jail records, Armstrong was booked into jail shortly before 7:30 a.m. Saturday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $35,000, jail records showed. Armstrong has since posted bond.
WFAA reached out to the Dallas Mavericks and Armstrong for comment.
Armstrong’s attorney, Larry Taylor, responded with the following statement on Sunday night:
“We are in the preliminary stages of conducting our own independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding yesterday’s incident involving my client Darrell Armstrong.
Mr. Armstrong has been an upstanding member of the Dallas community during his playing days and as a coach.
We will have more to say about this incident in the coming days.”
The Mavericks sent WFAA the following statement Sunday afternoon:
“The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident involving a member of our staff and are gathering all relevant information surrounding the incident. We take this matter seriously. The employee has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings. This matter is currently under review by the appropriate legal authorities. Due to this fact, we will allow the legal process to run its course and we will refrain from further comment while proceedings are ongoing.”
Armstrong is in the midst of his 10th season as an assistant coach after joining the Mavs during the 2008-2009 NBA season. Prior to starting his coaching career, Armstrong played in the NBA for 14 seasons, spending time with Orlando, New Orleans, Indiana, New Jersey and Dallas. The former basketball player earned the NBA’s Sixth Man Award and Most Improved Player Award in 1999.
In 2004, Armstrong was traded from New Orleans to the Mavericks and played 114 games, even appearing with the team in the 2006 NBA Finals.
This is a developing story. WFAA will update this article with the latest information.