Pitt basketball player Dior Johnson charged with aggravated assault, strangulation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A University of Pittsburgh men's basketball player is facing charges, according to court documents.
Dior Johnson, a freshman on the basketball team, is charged with unlawful restrain, false imprisonment, strangulation, aggravated assault and simple assault, according to a criminal complaint.
Police were called to Forbes Avenue for reported assaults on the night of Sept. 6 and the morning of Sept. 7. A woman said Johnson slapped her across the face for getting him and his phone wet on Sept. 5, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman told police that Johnson later started an argument with her on the morning of Sept. 6 and would not let her leave the apartment.
"She stated that she was in pain and he told her that she was not leaving," the criminal complaint reads. "The argument continued for an hour before Johnson got violent and repeatedly punched (the victim) in her arms, stomach, and head multiple times."
According to the criminal complaint, the woman called 911 "in fear of her life" but Johnson ran after her with scissors, took the phone, hung it up and threw it. Johnson is then accused of grabbing the woman's head and pushing it into the bed, "making it hard for her to breathe," according to the criminal complaint.
Johnson then cut himself with the scissors to "make him bleed really badly," the complaint says, adding he did it to make the police "think you did this." The woman said, according to the criminal complaint, that Johnson continued to hit her in the arms, head, and stomach, making her throw up twice.
"Johnson attempted to call off from practice (it should be noted that Johnson is a basketball player on the University of Pittsburgh basketball team) because he did not want to leave her alone for fear that she would leave the apartment and call 911," the criminal complaint says.
He did leave for practice and the victim left the apartment. Photos show the woman with bruising on her arms, collarbone, shoulder and chest and scratches on her back. She received medical treatment for multiple bruises and a concussion.
On Friday, Pitt said Johnson has been indefinitely suspended from all team activities pending the resolution of legal charges filed against him. The Pitt Athletic Department also declined further comment "until the legal process has reached a resolution," adding it did not know about the charges until Friday.
