Vikings DT Johnson acquitted in police scuffle, plans to sue

Vikings defensive tackle Tom Johnson was found not guilty Friday in Hennepin County District Court on charges stemming from an incident at a downtown restaurant in October that led to his being subdued with pepper spray and a stun gun.

Johnson's agent, Bardia Ghahremani, said Johnson plans to sue the Minneapolis Police Department, alleging excessive and unnecessary force, when the Vikings season ends early next year.

Johnson's trial began Monday and caused him to miss the team's voluntary organized team activities throughout the week. His attorney, David Valentini, said it took the jury just 15 minutes to reach a verdict Friday, clearing Johnson of misdemeanor charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer.

"We're very happy," Valentini said. "He left immediately to go see his daughter down in New Orleans. He'll be back for minicamp on Monday. All along he steadfastly insisted he was innocent and he won his day in court."

Johnson was arrested Oct. 5 at 3:18 a.m. outside the Seven Steakhouse downtown.

According to a police report, Johnson was told after closing time to leave Seven "repeatedly by security and officers and [he] refused," and in response to his resisting officers, Johnson "was sprayed with department-issue chemical irritants and forced outside."

The police report also said that Johnson continued to be uncooperative with officers outside, prompting police to use a Taser on the 6-foot-3, defensive tackle.

Ghahremani's International Sports Agency, which represents Johnson, offered a different account of the incident in the days after Johnson's arrest.

In a statement, the agency said Johnson was not under the influence of alcohol and was waiting for a valet to deliver his vehicle. Security personnel told him to leave because the boots he was wearing violated the restaurant's dress code. The statement said off-duty police officers, who were working at Seven, yelled at Johnson to leave the lobby and that he was pepper sprayed as he left.

Johnson called a car service to pick him up because his vision was impaired by the pepper spray, the statement continued, and after an officer knocked Johnson's cellphone out of his hand he was tasered by police.

Johnson and his agent claimed he was calm and cooperative and said that the police acted inappropriately. After his arrest, they also released a video from Johnson's cellphone showing a uniformed officer slapping away the phone. The video was used as part of Johnson's defense in court this week.

"For me, I just feel like people in authority should be accountable," Johnson said three days after his arrest. "If they do something negligent, they should be accountable just like anyone else."

Ghahremani said Johnson wants to focus on football for now and will wait until after the season ends to file a lawsuit.