Pitt basketball player to stand trial; some charges dropped

A judge on Thursday dismissed one of the most serious charges filed earlier this month against highly touted University of Pittsburgh basketball player Dior Johnson.

Mr. Johnson, 18, will stand trial on charges of strangulation, a felony, and simple assault, a misdemeanor.

Formal arraignment is scheduled for December.

District Judge Mik Pappas dismissed three of the charges against Mr. Johnson during a preliminary hearing Thursday: aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.

Prosecutors had also sought to add one count of witness intimidation, which Judge Pappas also dismissed.

“This is disappointing,” Robert Del Greco Jr., Mr. Johnson’s defense attorney, said of the charges that were held for trial. “Holding these charges over for court will probably have a consequence to it, and hopefully that consequence isn’t dire.”

Mr. Johnson was charged Oct. 7 in connection with the alleged assault, which happened over the course of two days in early September.

According to the criminal complaint against him, Mr. Johnson allegedly became angry with the victim the evening of Sept. 5 after his phone got wet. The woman told police he slapped her “full force” across the face and then took her phone.

The woman told police Mr. Johnson left the apartment around midnight and came back about four hours later and returned her phone. An argument began again the next morning, according to the criminal complaint, and Mr. Johnson allegedly wouldn’t let the woman leave.

According to the complaint, he punched her multiple times in the arms, head and stomach and allegedly pushed her face into the bed, making it difficult to breathe. He also allegedly slashed his arm with scissors and said he would “make them think you did this,” according to the complaint.

Mr. Del Greco offered video evidence that showed the woman and Mr. Johnson the morning of Sept. 6. The video showed Mr. Johnson asking her to leave the apartment and to stop kicking him and putting her hands on him.

He said Mr. Johnson did not anticipate being charged in the incident a month after it happened.

“Considering what he knows occurred, he did not anticipate criminal charges,” Mr. Del Greco said.

Mr. Johnson is also being advised by sports agent and attorney Alex Guminski.

Per Pitt Athletics policy, Mr. Johnson is not permitted to participate in any team activities during a criminal investigation that involves a felony charge. He was suspended indefinitely from the Pitt basketball team on Oct. 7 after the charges were made public. A university spokesman offered the following statement Thursday after the hearing:

“His status with the program has not changed since our initial statement on the matter, dated October 7.”

Mr. Johnson is a 6-foot-3 freshman guard from Kingston, N.Y., who committed to Pitt as a four-star recruit in June. ESPN had Mr. Johnson ranked as the No. 35 player in the country for the class of 2022.

The freshman is Pitt’s highest-rated recruit under head coach Jeff Capel.