Pitt’s Dior Johnson facing criminal charges, suspended indefinitely

First-year Pitt men’s basketball guard Dior Johnson is facing multiple charges including aggravated assault, strangulation, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment stemming from an incident last month, according to a criminal complaint. 

Pitt suspended the 18-year-old from all team activities indefinitely, until his legal situation is resolved. Pitt declined to comment any further.

Johnson is accused of assaulting a woman on Sept. 5 and in the morning of Sept. 6 at an apartment in the 3400 block of Forbes Avenue. Johnson was arrested Friday, according to an updated police report.

The victim provided police with a statement via email, claiming Johnson struck her across the face because she got him and his phone wet. Johnson then left the apartment around midnight and returned at 4 a.m. when things again escalated around 8:30 a.m. 

“The argument continued for an hour before Johnson got violent and repeatedly punched [the woman] in her arms, stomach, and head multiple times.” the complaint said. 

The victim said she called 911, but Johnson threatened her with scissors, took her phone and hung it up.

According to the report, Johnson continued to strike the victim, which left her concussed and bruised and caused her to throw up twice. Johnson reportedly attempted to call out of practice that morning, so the victim could not call 911.

Johnson took to Twitter to defend himself, seeming to claim the allegations against him were false. “Super Kap! Lol,” he said. 

Three Pitt men’s basketball players have faced criminal charges in the past two years. 

In November, police arrested guard Ithiel Horton for aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness for punching a police officer in the South Side. Horton eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. He was also suspended indefinitely following the incident. 

Center John Hugley IV missed half of the 2020-21 season while facing charges of criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen items related to a stolen car. His felony charges were dropped for one charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a second-degree misdemeanor.