Chiefs RB Johnson suspended for Week 10
Sports Network | October 31, 2008
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was suspended by the league without pay for the team's road game against the Chargers in Week 10.
Johnson, who is facing a pair of simple assault charges, will not play in the Chiefs' upcoming game against the Buccaneers this Sunday after being deactivated by the team to focus on his personal life.
The latest charges that have been levied against Johnson stem from an incident that occurred on October 10 when Johnson allegedly spit a drink in the face of a woman and told the woman that he was going to kill her boyfriend.
This incident occurred less than a week after word surfaced that Johnson was facing a simple assault charge for pushing a woman at a Kansas City nightclub. Johnson faces a December court date in that case, which took place February 24 of this year.
"We respect the decision of Commissioner Goodell," said team president Carl Peterson. "The NFL Player Conduct Policy sets forth a set of standards that all NFL players, coaches and staff members must abide by. Upon the completion of his suspension we sincerely hope that (Johnson) will be ready to return to the field for the Chiefs determined to make a positive contribution to our team, and, with the assistance of people around him, turn his life around."
Johnson issued an apology last week for his actions and was benched for a second consecutive week, missing games against the Titans and Jets.
The Penn State product has already faced two previous charges with assaulting a woman since he came to the Chiefs. In 2003 Johnson was accused of aggravated assault and misdemeanor domestic battery for waving a gun at his ex- girlfriend, but the charges were dropped because the running back entered a domestic-violence program. In 2005, Johnson was accused of pushing a woman to the ground at another KC nightspot, but the charges were later dropped.
Johnson has rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns this season for the Chiefs (1-6). That includes a 198-yard, two-TD performance in their lone win of the season, 33-19, over Denver on September 28.
