New Details Emerge on Xavier Johnson's Arrest After Trying to Elude Sheriff's Deputy
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain provided more specific details on Sunday on the arrest of Indiana basketball player Xavier Johnson, who was arrested overnight on a felony charge of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and reckless driving, a misdemeanor.
According to a news release from the Sheriff's Office, a deputy clocked a Dodge Charger driving 90 mph on North Walnut Street, the main northbound street that runs through downtown Bloomington.
About 3 a.m. Sunday morning, the deputy pursued the car, but the driver did not pull over.
The report said that the driver of the Charger ran a stop sign and then drove into an apartment complex. The deputy who had been following the car then saw the driver, later identified as Johnson, get out of the car and change seats with Indiana student Lee Mariotti.
Johnson and Mariotti were both arrested. A third person in the car, former Indiana basketball player Parker Stewart, was taken into custody and questioned, but was not charged.
Johnson was taken to the Monroe County Correction Center. He was released from jail later on Sunday morning on a $2,000 surety bond and a $500 cash bond.
Mariotti was charged with false information for telling police he was driving the car as it fled from police. He was also released from jail.
The Sheriff's office release said that Stewart was questioned, but declined to tell police who was driving the vehicle during the pursuit.
Johnson will be 23 years old in October. The Woodbridge, Va., native played three years at Pittsburgh before transferring to Indiana last spring. He started 34 games at point guard this season for Indiana during the Hoosiers' 21-14 season.
He missed one game when he was suspended for violating curfew on Feb. 8 at Northwestern along with four other teammates, including Stewart.
The university did release a statement on Sunday following Johnson's arrest.
"Indiana University Athletics and the men’s basketball program are aware of the charges involving Xavier Johnson. IU Athletics will continue to gather facts, cooperate with and monitor the legal process, and take further action as the evolving situation warrants."
Johnson has one year of college basketball eligibility remaining and even though he has not commented publicly about returning to Indiana next year, that seemed to be his plan. He spent Friday at a Bloomington elementary school with teammate Anthony Leal, talking to students.
Johnson has been active on Twitter since Indiana's season ended on March 17, wishing former teammates Rob Phinisee and Stewart well after they announced that they were entering the transfer portal or moving on from Indiana.
Less than a week after the season ended, he tweeted ''miss it already.''
Indiana coach Mike Woodson spent a lot of time coaching Johnson this year, saying that he ''is hard on point guards.'' Woodson, a former Indiana star who is trying to change the culture of the Hoosiers' program, didn't comment on the matter on Sunday. The statement above from the school was the only official comment.
