De’Andre Johnson, 19, was scheduled to start as quarterback this fall before he was arrested last month on charges of misdemeanor battery. The woman, according to the summary of an incident report released by the Tallahassee Police Department, had bruising under her left eye, swelling to her left cheek and upper lip, and a small cut on her nose.
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ESPN.com quoted a source as saying Florida State officials had not seen the video of Johnson punching the woman until it was posted on the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper’s website on Monday. It shows the two pushing each other at the crowded bar, after which the woman begins yelling at Johnson and raised her right fist.
“I fully support Coach Fisher’s decisions to immediately suspend and subsequently dismiss De’Andre Johnson from the football team”.
The school announced Johnson’s dismissal hours after footage of what was purportedly the player striking a student at a Tallahassee bar was released to the public by the State Attorney’s Office.
The way Baez tells it, Johnson “tried to de-escalate the situation”, and it was not until the victim struck Johnson twice that the quarterback retaliated.
“While it is always important to adhere to due process, having now seen the physical altercation captured on video, there is no question in my mind that Coach Fisher made the correct decisions”, Thrasher said. After being charged, Johnson was released from jail on July 2 on a $500 bond.
“All he wants to do is learn from this experience and move on and get an education”, Baez said in an interview that was aired on NBC’s Today Show. The incident occurred in June.
“I expect all students at Florida State University, including student-athletes, to adhere to the highest level of conduct”.
The woman, a Florida State student, suffered several injuries to her face, according to court records.
Baez, a high-profile lawyer who has previously defended Casey Anthony, told NBC News on Tuesday that the woman shouted “racial epithets” at Johnson.
Johnson’s rep says the slur was used after he bumped into her at the bar, with her responding, “Get off me you f**king n**ger”.
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A Jacksonville native, Johnson was the state’s Mr. Football in 2014.
