Florida State player dismissed after punching woman
Florida State University has dismissed freshman QB De’Andre Johnson from the team.
Johnson was charged with misdemeanour battery after a video showed him punching a woman at a Tallahassee bar June 24 and was suspended indefinitely by FSU for an unspecified “violation of athletic department policy” the following day.
However, Johnson was officially dismissed Monday night by coach Jimbo Fisher “effective immediately,” according to a statement from FSU’s athletic department.
The state attorney’s office charged Johnson following a review of video footage from the bar’s security cameras, which was released on Monday. Johnson, in the video, can be seen striking the woman in the face after the two engaged in shoving for several seconds.
Johnson’s attorney, Jose Baez, released the following statement Monday prior to FSU announcing his dismissal:
“While it is clear from the video that De’Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience. He is currently participating in com- munity service, and faith-based programs focused on battered women, substance abuse and the empowerment of children. De’Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone, including those who were directly affected, coach Fisher and his teammates, the entire Florida State University community, as well as his family and friends.”
The Tallahassee Police Department released an abbreviated recap of the incident on June 30.
According to the TPD report, Johnson al- legedly pushed a woman from behind “aggressively” when she approached the bar. The woman turned around to address Johnson and “raised her right arm to defend herself ” when Johnson allegedly “grabbed her arm that was raised and began pushing her.”
The woman raised her knee to Johnson’s midsection to push him away and attempted to punch Johnson. One witness heard the woman yell “no” twice before Johnson allegedly punched her in the face, causing bruising under her left eye, swelling to her left cheek and upper lip, and a small cut on her nose.
The woman’s account is consistent with video obtained from security cameras, according to the police department.
Authorities subsequently issued a warrant for Johnson’s arrest last week. He turned himself into the Leon County Jail the same day the warrant was issued and was released on bail.
Johnson, 19, was one of two quarterback commits secured by FSU in the 2015 recruiting class.
He enrolled at FSU in January to get a jump start on his career and consistently drew strong marks from Fisher during spring practice.