NFL free agent Terrelle Pryor and his girlfriend, Shalaya Briston, both pleaded guilty Tuesday to lesser charges stemming from a violent dispute late last year.
Mr. Pryor, 30, pleaded guilty to a summary harassment offense and will receive 90 days of non-reporting probation. Ms. Briston, 24, pleaded guilty to a simple assault charge and will serve two years of probation. The pair appeared before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani.
“I’m very pleased, and everyone involved is happy to … put this to bed and move on to the next chapter of their lives,” said Stephen Colafella, Mr. Pryor’s attorney.
Mr. Colafella said testimony from Ms. Briston’s friends was “all over the place,” and there wasn’t evidence to support allegations that Mr. Pryor assaulted the woman, leading to the plea for the reduced charge. A no-contact order, placed on Ms. Briston, was also lifted.
The case began during an early-morning argument the two had at the Heinz Loft Apartments in Pittsburgh’s North Side in November. Mr. Pryor, Ms. Briston and and two other women were seen at the apartment complex about 4:15 a.m. after the women returned from a club, police said. Mr. Pryor and Ms. Briston began arguing, and the dispute turned violent.
According to police, Mr. Pryor grabbed Ms. Briston and started arguing with her until the confrontation turned into a “tussle.” Ms. Briston stabbed Mr. Pryor with a kitchen knife and struck an artery, hospitalizing him and causing him to lose a significant amount of blood.
Police said Ms. Briston suffered a bruised nose and was missing two fake fingernails, and they described the couple as “mutual combatants.” Ms. Briston’s friend told police that the woman was acting in self-defense. She spent a month in jail after a judge denied her bail and declared she was a danger to the community.
Mr. Pryor was charged with simple assault, and Ms. Briston was charged with aggravated assault. Their attorneys negotiated a settlement that led to the couple pleading guilty to the lesser charges. A charge of attempted homicide against Ms. Briston also was withdrawn. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Pryor first gained public attention as a standout football and basketball player at Jeannette High School before going to Ohio State University in 2008. From there he began his NFL career in 2011 with the Oakland Raiders. He later signed with the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets and, most recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was injured and released in August 2019.
The court case “stalled” Mr. Pryor’s career, Mr. Colafella said. He also said it was emotionally challenging for the couple and created a strain on the relationship between Mr. Pryor and Ms. Briston, who remain romantically involved.
Mick Stinelli: mstinelli@post-gazette.com; 412-263-1869; and on Twitter: @MickStinelli
First Published: October 27, 2020, 7:54 p.m.
