KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was sentenced to two years of probation Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace for separate incidents involving women at nightclubs last year.
A Kansas City Municipal Court judge suspended imposition of the sentence and will remove the guilty plea from the public record if Johnson finishes his probation without further incidents.
While on probation, Johnson will not be allowed to consume alcohol or be at any Kansas City bars or nightclubs after 9 p.m. He also must complete anger-control counseling and 40 hours of community service.
Johnson, 28, originally was charged with assault in the two incidents, but those charges were changed to disturbing the peace on Friday.
The first incident occurred on Feb. 24 last year, when a 26-year-old woman accused Johnson of pushing her head at a Kansas City nightspot. Johnson also was accused of spitting a drink in the face of a 24-year-old woman and threatening to kill her boyfriend at another Kansas City club on Oct. 10.
That woman, Ashley N. Stewart of Lawrence, Kan., filed a suit against Johnson in November, accusing him of negligence, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The NFL suspended Johnson one game for violating the league's player-conduct policy in November, and the Chiefs deactivated the two-time Pro Bowler for three games. He has asked the Chiefs to trade him, but a source told The Kansas City Star on Friday that if the team wins a Wednesday grievance hearing with the running back, it will release him.
The October incident marked the fourth time in the last five years that Johnson had been accused of assaulting a woman.
In 2003, Johnson was charged with aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery for allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument with his former girlfriend. The charges were dropped after Johnson completed a domestic violence diversion program.
Another woman accused Johnson of pushing her at a nightclub in 2005, though the charges were later dropped after she failed to show up for court hearings.
Johnson was one of the best running backs in the NFL in 2005 and 2006, rushing for over 1,750 yards in each season. In 2007, Johnson signed a contract that guaranteed him a team-record $19 million, but he has been injured and inconsistent since, rushing for 1,433 yards in 20 games.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
