Multiple media sources report that NFL wide-receiver Keyshawn Johnson will not be charged with domestic battery after he was arrested in Calabasas last month. An altercation with his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Conrad, lead to the arrest. She has since become uncooperative with the police. Though she reportedly suffered a cut to her hand during the altercation, the injury has been described as accidental and extremely minor.
Johnson was a Pac-10 player of the year at USC and went to the Pro Bowl three times in his NFL career which lasted from 1996 through 2007. In 2002, he was on the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since his retirement he has been a nearly constant media presence on ESPN, on sports talk radio and was also a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Though Johnson is well-known for an on-field temper, he is an affable media-presence and has never been accused of a serious criminal violation.
After the announcement that he will not be formally charged, Johnson issued a statement in which he praised the prosecutor for quickly deciding not to press charges while he also stated, "I should not have been arrested because no crime was committed. I did not and would not touch, grab or strike a woman -- any woman. Though Jennifer and I are both pleased that this matter is over, we very much resent the fact that I was ever arrested in the first place. I apologize to my friends, family, fans and colleagues for this matter" (ESPN NFL).
An arrest on suspicion of domestic violence or battery can lead to a tremendous amount of difficulty for the accused even if the accusations are false. This may be especially true for a celebrity whose reputation is part of their appeal. However, even for the not-so famous, charges of domestic battery can have long-term consequences especially in an era when law enforcement officials are trying to come down hard on perpetrators of domestic violence. Unfortunately, this "tough-on-crime" stance can lead to the lives of innocent people becoming disrupted.