http://oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0...1910324,00.html
Area man sues Keyshawn Johnson
By Glenn Chapman, STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- Controversial NFL football wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is being sued by his ex-wife's new boyfriend, who claims Johnson has relentlessly threatened to hunt him down and kill him.
Johnson was at the Pleasanton home of his ex-wife and their children Wednesday night when he was served with court documents, including a restraining order issued in Alameda County Superior Court.
Johnson is to stay away from his ex-wife's home, the home of John Mahannah Jr. of Richmond and Mahannah's children, pending review of the restraining order, according to court paperwork. A hearing at which the necessity of the re- straining order will be reviewed is slated for Feb. 6 in the Rene Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.
"What happened is being overblown," said Johnson's lawyer and agent, Jerome Stanley. "It is a very minor dispute that is being blown out of proportion. ... There is no need for this person to feel threatened."
Johnson said the situation was neither "newsworthy or court-worthy" and referred questions about it to Stanley.
A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the Richmond man accuses Johnson of calling him with threats anywhere from five to 20 times daily after learning the fellow was dating Johnson's former spouse, Shakiri Hightower-Johnson. Hightower began dating the single dad in August, and the threatening telephone calls began two months later, according to police and court documents.
Mahanna was approaching a casket at a Jan. 9 funeral of a close friend of Hightower's at St. Columba's Church on San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville when Johnson noticed him, a police report says. Johnson allegedly launched an abusive tirade during which he was held back by other funeral-goers and menacingly vowed to catch the man on the street and throttle him.
Johnson has since left curse-laden threats on the Richmond man's mobile telephone message system, said attorney Lisa Alexholland of the Oakland law firm handling the restraining order and the civil suit against Johnson.
"I'm going to find you and break your neck," a voice said to be that of Johnson says in one of the messages obtained by the Tribune. "I ain't got nothing but time on my hands now. I'm going to find you and beat you to a pulp."
Johnson was deactivated this year as wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was known to skip Buccaneers meetings, miss curfews and talk of plans to leave the team. The star player's behavior off the field got him tagged an NFL bad boy, and he has been described as persona non grata in the football world.
Johnson once played for the New York Jets, authoring the book "Just Give Me the Damn Ball" during his first season with that team.
In a set of expletive-filled messages, a caller alleged to be Johnson orders the Richmond man to stay away from Hightower and contends he is in Oakland and knows where to find the fellow.
"He is afraid for his life," Alexholland said of Hightower's new beau. "Johnson is just wild right now."
Stanley said the suit and restraining order stem from competitive banter no more serious than "two people having a heated discussion at a sports game about my team being better than yours."
"There is no harm to anyone," Stanley said. "There is no threat whatsoever."
The civil suit charges Johnson with causing the man so much anguish that Johnson should pay general, punitive and special damages to be determined by the court.
An hour before Johnson reported being robbed of his jewelry outside a Berkeley barber shop Wednesday, an attorney representing him was trying to convince Alexholland not to pursue the restraining order, Alexholland said.
Area man sues Keyshawn Johnson
By Glenn Chapman, STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- Controversial NFL football wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is being sued by his ex-wife's new boyfriend, who claims Johnson has relentlessly threatened to hunt him down and kill him.
Johnson was at the Pleasanton home of his ex-wife and their children Wednesday night when he was served with court documents, including a restraining order issued in Alameda County Superior Court.
Johnson is to stay away from his ex-wife's home, the home of John Mahannah Jr. of Richmond and Mahannah's children, pending review of the restraining order, according to court paperwork. A hearing at which the necessity of the re- straining order will be reviewed is slated for Feb. 6 in the Rene Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.
"What happened is being overblown," said Johnson's lawyer and agent, Jerome Stanley. "It is a very minor dispute that is being blown out of proportion. ... There is no need for this person to feel threatened."
Johnson said the situation was neither "newsworthy or court-worthy" and referred questions about it to Stanley.
A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the Richmond man accuses Johnson of calling him with threats anywhere from five to 20 times daily after learning the fellow was dating Johnson's former spouse, Shakiri Hightower-Johnson. Hightower began dating the single dad in August, and the threatening telephone calls began two months later, according to police and court documents.
Mahanna was approaching a casket at a Jan. 9 funeral of a close friend of Hightower's at St. Columba's Church on San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville when Johnson noticed him, a police report says. Johnson allegedly launched an abusive tirade during which he was held back by other funeral-goers and menacingly vowed to catch the man on the street and throttle him.
Johnson has since left curse-laden threats on the Richmond man's mobile telephone message system, said attorney Lisa Alexholland of the Oakland law firm handling the restraining order and the civil suit against Johnson.
"I'm going to find you and break your neck," a voice said to be that of Johnson says in one of the messages obtained by the Tribune. "I ain't got nothing but time on my hands now. I'm going to find you and beat you to a pulp."
Johnson was deactivated this year as wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was known to skip Buccaneers meetings, miss curfews and talk of plans to leave the team. The star player's behavior off the field got him tagged an NFL bad boy, and he has been described as persona non grata in the football world.
Johnson once played for the New York Jets, authoring the book "Just Give Me the Damn Ball" during his first season with that team.
In a set of expletive-filled messages, a caller alleged to be Johnson orders the Richmond man to stay away from Hightower and contends he is in Oakland and knows where to find the fellow.
"He is afraid for his life," Alexholland said of Hightower's new beau. "Johnson is just wild right now."
Stanley said the suit and restraining order stem from competitive banter no more serious than "two people having a heated discussion at a sports game about my team being better than yours."
"There is no harm to anyone," Stanley said. "There is no threat whatsoever."
The civil suit charges Johnson with causing the man so much anguish that Johnson should pay general, punitive and special damages to be determined by the court.
An hour before Johnson reported being robbed of his jewelry outside a Berkeley barber shop Wednesday, an attorney representing him was trying to convince Alexholland not to pursue the restraining order, Alexholland said.
