Police: Johnson was at club during fatal shooting
Associated Press
CHICAGO -- Troubled Chicago Bears nose tackle Tank Johnson was at a nightclub early Saturday morning when a man who called himself the player's bodyguard was shot to death, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 12 hours after Johnson offered a public apology to teammates and family for his third arrest in the past 18 months. Johnson, the Bears' starting nose tackle, will be inactive for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.
Willie B. Posey, 26, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about 2 a.m. The shooting took place following a fight at Ice Bar, a club in the city's trendy River North neighborhood, said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond.
Bond said police did not know whether Johnson was involved in the fight or the shooting.
"He was at the bar," Bond said. There was "no information to link him to anything that occurred at the bar at this point in the investigation."
The Bears issued a statement Saturday saying the team was aware of the shooting, but didn't mention Johnson by name.
"We are currently gathering information to learn more about the situation," the statement said.
Johnson and Posey were arrested earlier this week following a raid at Johnson's home.
Posey was arrested Thursday on a count of felony cannabis possession. He was released after posting the $10,000 bond set by a Lake County Circuit Court judge and had been scheduled to return to court Dec. 21.
Johnson was not at home during the search, but later turned himself in and was arrested on misdemeanor weapons charges because six unregistered firearms were found at his residence, police said. He was released after posting 10 percent of his $1,000 bond.
Two of the weapons seized from Johnson's home were assault-style rifles, an AR-15 and a .223 caliber, said Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones. Three were powerful handguns -- a .44 Magnum, a .50 caliber, and a .45 caliber -- and one was a .308 Winchester hunting rifle, Jones said.
Johnson practiced Friday and afterward offered a public apology. He is scheduled for a court appearance Jan. 9, which would be several days before the NFC North champion Bears play their first postseason game.
In November 2005, Johnson was sentenced to 18 months probation and 40 hours community service after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from an arrest in which a nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his sport utility vehicle.
Johnson also was arrested last February after a confrontation outside a Chicago nightclub, but the charges were dropped after the police officer he allegedly scuffled with decided not to pursue the case.
Posey said in court Friday he was Johnson's bodyguard, the Chicago Tribune and (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported on the newspapers' Web sites. Gurnee police could not confirm Posey's relationship to Johnson.
