Report: Temple's Johnson arrested, accused of assault

Kamal Johnson was arraigned Saturday on felony kidnapping and misdemeanor charges.

Mark J. Rebilas/US PRESSWIRE

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Temple defensive tackle Kamal Johnson was arraigned Saturday on charges stemming from an alleged assault Sept. 27 on his girlfriend, also a student at the university.

Police spokeswoman Tanya Little said the 20-year-old junior was arraigned on charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, simple assault, and endangering the welfare of another person. Bail was set at $25,000.

Little said Johnson remained in custody Saturday night.

The 21-year-old girlfriend told police Thursday that she and Johnson had an argument on the phone, that about 11:50 p.m. he forced his way into her apartment near campus, dragged her into the hallway and forced her down the stairs to his apartment. Little did not know if his apartment was in the same building.

The girlfriend told police Johnson accused her of cheating on him, punched her in the back and threw her to the floor where she hit her head. She said he forced her to sit in a chair for more than three hours and refused to let her leave, police said in an emailed statement.

She told police he let her leave about 3:50 a.m. Sept. 28. She had scratches and bruises and a contusion on her head, which she said caused her to be dizzy and her vision to blur, police said.

Little said the girlfriend told police she and Johnson have been in a relationship three years.

Johnson turned himself in to police Friday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23.

At a postgame news conference Saturday, Temple coach Steve Addazio had no comment on Johnson's arrest or his status with the team after a 37-28 win against South Florida.

Temple spokesman Raymond Betzner said the girlfriend apparently lives in a building called The Edge, where the university leases several floors. But Betzner did not know if her apartment is on a floor leased by the university.

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