Le’Andria Johnson has a message for her fans after she was arrested earlier this week in Greenville, S.C., following a drunken outburst at a local bar.
The “Better Days” singer addressed her arrest Tuesday in a video on the Larry Reid Live YouTube channel, thanking those who sent messages of support and saying she is taking time to “woosah.”
“This has been a daily walk for me for some time now, and I’m yet still growing,” said the Grammy-winning gospel singer, who for years has spoken to church congregations and media outlets about her battle with alcoholism.
“So just keep me lifted, and I’m a get through this,” she added.
Johnson was taken into police custody around 3 p.m. Monday and charged with public intoxication and possession of an open container, according to an incident report from the Greenville Police Department. She was released from detention the next day and given a personal recognizance bond on her charges, Greenville Public Information Officer Sgt. Diana Munoz confirmed Wednesday.
Police apprehended Johnson after receiving a call about a customer “causing a disturbance” and “screaming at patrons” at BrickTop’s restaurant in the city’s downtown area, the incident report said.
According to the report, officers identified and located Johnson after she left BrickTop’s and went down the street, “screaming profanities at a male who was walking with her.”
Upon being approached by police, Johnson handed her Styrofoam cup to the man, who attempted to hide it, the report said. After observing “multiple signs that she was heavily intoxicated” — the scent of alcohol, slurred speech and unstable posture — officers confirmed the cup contained alcohol and “disposed” of it.
The “Sunday Best” victor was arrested and initially booked on a $257.50 bond, which she does not have to pay “on the condition that she show up to court,” Munoz said in a statement to The Times.
If Johnson requests a jury trial, “she will not have to appear in court until her jury trial date, which can be next year,” Munoz added.
