Player Arrested After Fan Is Hit

Marlo Johnson of Mesa College, the NAIA’s leading rusher, was charged with battery for hitting a fan with his helmet after his team’s victory in a playoff game Saturday, police said.

Johnson had rushed for 47 yards in 18 carries to help Mesa to a 10-9 victory over Central Arkansas. Billy Leach, director of the Department of Public Safety at Central Arkansas, said witnesses saw the tailback run from the sideline to a nearby track and hit a Central Arkansas fan in the face with his helmet.

The victim, Jim Lawson, was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken jaw, authorities said.