The two, who had been dating for about a year, were in what witnesses told authorities was a “volatile” relationship, according to the Post-Gazette, and police were summoned to an apartment building shortly after 4 a.m. Saturday. Officers followed a trail of blood to a Mercedes-Benz registered to Pryor. He, along with Briston and two other women, had left for UPMC Mercy, where he was initially described as being in extremely critical condition.
As officers were taking the women to headquarters for questioning, one said “she was just defending herself and had to do it,” the complaint said. Another officer said he heard one of the women say “the only reason I’m here was to make sure that he didn’t die,” and “we should have just let him die.”
Earlier in the evening the couple had gone out for dinner and began to argue with Pryor returning to the apartment and the women going to a club. He was waiting for them in a hallway when they returned to the apartment, according to the complaint, and Pryor allegedly grabbed Briston and a “tussle,” as the complaint described it, began. That’s when Pryor, clutching his chest, ran from the building.
According to the Post-Gazette, Briston had a bruise on her nose and was missing two false fingernails.
Pryor is out of football this season and last month said he would play for no team but the Steelers. A quarterback at Ohio State, he was a supplemental draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and his greatest success came as a wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns in 2015 and 2016. He also played for the Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, who released him in September.