Staff Report
UNM head basketball coach Ritchie McKay reinstated transfer Aaron Johnson on Friday, after he was kicked off the team in September.
Johnson was suspended in late September after being charged with four counts of battery on a police officer, which is a felony. On Wednesday, Johnson pleaded guilty to less severe charges of resisting a police officer.
His sentence is to stay away from bars and alcohol for a year and he will be on unsupervised probation for 364 days.
Johnson was arrested after fighting two people outside of Sauce, Liquid Lounge and Raw, a bar in Downtown Albuquerque. The fight spilled out onto the sidewalk when police became involved in the fracas.
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Johnson hit four police officers before he was sprayed with mace in the scuffle as cops attempted to subdue him.
Johnson transferred from Penn State during the summer and will redshirt this season. He will use his final year of eligibility next season for UNM. Johnson will keep his scholarship this year, but as part of the program's punishment he will lose it next year.
Johnson led the Big Ten in rebounding last season while playing for Penn State. The 6-foot-9-inch forward grabbed an average of 9.9 rebounds per game.
