Original Article Ex-player arrested in attack on officer Sarah Muench The Arizona Republic Nov. 19, 2005 12:00 AM A former college football player was arrested early Friday after he attacked a Tempe police officer outside a bar, police said. Nicholas Patrick Johnson, 21, who played defensive end at Arizona State, spun around Tempe police Sgt. James Click and punched him in the face, knocking him out and leaving Click's nose broken and cheek bone fractured, police said. Click was hospitalized and is to undergo reconstructive surgery this weekend. Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said Johnson "was a big guy" and knocked out the officer. "We were fortunate that he didn't sustain more injuries when he fell," Masters said of Click. At about 2 a.m., Click and several other officers were called to a fight at ACME Roadhouse Bar, 955 S. Rural Road in Tempe. While officers were attempting to break it up, Johnson knocked out Click, grabbed another officer and threw him to the ground and punched a bouncer in the face, police said. Johnson, 6 feet 4 inches tall and 275 pounds, was not involved in the fight that police were breaking up, and Masters said police don't know what provoked him. Police used a Taser on Johnson and arrested him on two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and one count of misdemeanor assault. Johnson is a Chandler High graduate. He was dismissed from ASU's football team for a rules violation in 2003 and no longer attends the university. Click, who has been on the Tempe force for eight years, remains hospitalized. Masters said the department plans to help Click's family. http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/1119t-cophit19Z6.html Ex-player arrested in attack on officer Sarah Muench The Arizona Republic Nov. 19, 2005 12:00 AM A former college and Chandler High football player was arrested early Friday after he attacked a Tempe police officer outside a bar, police said. Nicholas Patrick Johnson, 21, who played defensive end at Arizona State, spun around Tempe police Sgt. James Click and punched him in the face, knocking him out and leaving Click's nose broken and cheek bone fractured, police said. Click was hospitalized and is to undergo reconstructive surgery this weekend. Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said Johnson "was a big guy" and knocked out the officer. "We were fortunate that he didn't sustain more injuries when he fell," Masters said of Click. At about 2 a.m., Click and several other officers were called to a fight at ACME Roadhouse Bar, 955 S. Rural Road in Tempe. While officers were attempting to break it up, Johnson knocked out Click, grabbed another officer and threw him to the ground and punched a bouncer in the face, police said. Johnson, 6 feet 4 and 275 pounds, was not involved in the fight that police were breaking up, and Masters said police don't know what provoked him. Police used a Taser on Johnson and arrested him on two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and one count of misdemeanor assault. Johnson, who succeeded All-America defensive end and Hamilton High star Terrell Suggs at ASU, was dismissed from ASU's football team for a rules violation in 2003 and no longer attends the university. Click, who has been on the Tempe force for eight years, remains hospitalized. Masters said the department plans to help Click's family. http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1119t-cophit19Z10.html Ex-player arrested in attack on officer Sarah Muench The Arizona Republic Nov. 19, 2005 12:00 AM A former college football player was arrested early Friday after he attacked a Tempe police officer outside a bar, police said. Nicholas Patrick Johnson, 21, who played defensive end at Arizona State, spun around Tempe police Sgt. James Click and punched him in the face, knocking him out and leaving Click's nose broken and cheek bone fractured, police said. Click was hospitalized and is to undergo reconstructive surgery this weekend. Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said Johnson "was a big guy" and knocked out the officer. "We were fortunate that he didn't sustain more injuries when he fell," Masters said of Click. At about 2 a.m., Click and several other officers were called to a fight at ACME Roadhouse Bar, 955 S. Rural Road in Tempe. While officers were attempting to break it up, Johnson knocked out Click, grabbed another officer and threw him to the ground and punched a bouncer in the face, police said. Johnson, 6 feet 4 inches tall and 275 pounds, was not involved in the fight that police were breaking up, and Masters said police don't know what provoked him. Police used a Taser on Johnson and arrested him on two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and one count of misdemeanor assault. Johnson is a Chandler High graduate. He was dismissed from ASU's football team for a rules violation in 2003 and no longer attends the university. Click, who has been on the Tempe force for eight years, remains hospitalized. Masters said the department plans to help Click's family.