Arkansas basketball player arrested for disorderly conduct
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball player Kamani Johnson has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The transfer from Little Rock was involved in a “physical disturbance” on Dickson Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Fayetteville Police Department, which HawgBeat obtained through a Freedom of Information request.
“We have been made aware of the incident involving Kamani Johnson,” head coach Eric Musselman said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering more information from the proper authorities. His status with the team will be determined once we have made a thorough review of the information.”
When police responded to a fight blocking the roadway near the Dickson Street and School Avenue intersection, Johnson was agitating the crowd and refused to stop trying to instigate altercations, according to the report.
After attempting to strike an officer when being separated from the crowd, he was detained and police tried to deescalate the situation. That initially calmed him, according to the report, but as he was escorted away from the incident, he continued yelling.
According to the report, he continued to block the road, antagonize others in the crowd and try to fight people while ignoring verbal commands from the police, which led to him being placed him under arrest.
However, Johnson refused to place his hands behind his back and even held on to a nearby light pole “for stability to prevent arrest,” with his resistance resulting in injury to officers, according to the report.
Officers were eventually able to handcuff him and transport to him to the Washington County detention center, where he was booked at 11:26 p.m. He was released on a $265 bond at 5:12 a.m. Thursday. His court date is scheduled for 8 a.m. on July 15.
Johnson came to Arkansas as a transfer from Little Rock. He announced his decision before the season, but didn’t join the team until finishing the fall semester at Little Rock, where he averaged 11.0 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore in 2019-20.
Although he was able to practice with the Razorbacks, Johnson wasn’t eligible to play during the spring semester. Listed at 6-foot-7 on the UA roster and 6-foot-8 on the Washington County website, he is expected to be one of the tallest players on the team this year, behind Connor Vanover and Jaylin Williams.