BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An Indiana University men's basketball player was arrested early Sunday after allegedly leading police on a pursuit in downtown Bloomington.
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain said in a release that a deputy using radar clocked a Dodge Charger on North Walnut Street driving at 90 miles per hour around 3 a.m. Sunday. The deputy tried to stop the car, but the driver did not pull over.
Police said the driver of the car drove into an apartment complex and ran a stop sign during the chase.
The driver eventually stopped the car, when the deputy said he saw the driver, identified as IU basketball player Xavier Johnson, get out and change seats with one of his passengers, identified as IU student Lee Mariotti, to allegedly give the impression that he was driving, not Johnson.
Three occupants of the vehicle, including another IU basketball player, were taken into custody.
Johnson was taken to the Monroe County Correction Center on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, a felony, as well as a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. He was released from jail on a $2,000 surety bond and a $500 cash bond.
Mariotti was charged with false informing for telling police he was driving the car as it fled from police. He was also released from jail.
The other person in the vehicle was not charged, but declined to tell police who was driving the vehicle during the pursuit.
Johnson earned honorable mention honors on the All-Big Ten team this past season, his first with the Hoosiers after transferring from Pittsburgh.
The Indiana University athletics department issued the following statement to 13News Sunday afternoon:
"Indiana University Athletics and the men’s basketball program are aware of the charges involving Xavier Johnson. IU Athletics will continue to gather facts, cooperate with and monitor the legal process, and take further action as the evolving situation warrants."