Former Officer Charged in Plot to Kill Irvin

Former Dallas police officer Johnnie Hernandez was indicted Thursday in connection with an alleged plot to kill Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin.

Grand jurors indicted Hernandez, 28, on one count of criminal solicitation of capital murder and one count of bribery, a charge unrelated to the alleged Irvin scheme.

Prosecutors say Hernandez, released from jail on bond Tuesday, gave an undercover Drug Enforcement Agent a $2,960 down payment on a contract to kill Irvin.

The bribery charge came to light during the investigation into the alleged plot. A police affidavit said Hernandez sold classified criminal records to an undercover officer for $300.

Hernandez is scheduled to stand trial Aug. 5.

Hernandez reportedly wanted Irvin killed because his girlfriend, Rachelle Smith, said Irvin threatened her. Hernandez and Smith were subpoenaed as witnesses in Irvin’s recent cocaine-possession trial.

Pro Football

New York Jet Coach Rich Kotite has warned holdout former USC receiver Keyshawn Johnson about the importance of training camp for a rookie. Johnson and the Jets are at an impasse in negotiations.

“Al Toon held out and when he came in, he got hurt,” Kotite said. “Wesley Walker held out and when he came in, he got hurt.”

Johnson was the Jets’ top choice in the NFL draft.

After Coach Jimmy Johnson said further delay in reporting might bury him deeper on the depth chart, former UCLA running back Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed a reported three-year, $920,000 contract.

The St. Louis Rams upgraded their offer to holdout quarterback Mark Rypien, but Coach Rich Brooks said that if he doesn’t accept it today “it doesn’t look very good.” Rypien, 33, who earned $700,000 last year, had been offered $300,000, plus incentives.

The Denver Broncos released starting defensive tackle James Jones and his $1.25-million contract to free up money in a bid to sign free agent defensive tackle Jumpy Geathers and their other draft choices.

The NFL reinstated Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Chuck Levy, giving him a six-week break on a substance-abuse suspension that was to have lasted a year. . . . Seattle waived center Jim Sweeney, who started all 16 games last season, after he refused to accept a salary cut and demotion to a backup role. . . . Running back Johnny Johnson, signed as a free agent after being out all last season, aggravated a back problem during the San Francisco 49ers’ opening training camp workout in Rocklin, Calif.

Golf

Brandie Burton and Mardi Lunn shot five-under-par 67s in Agawam, Mass., to share the first-round lead in the LPGA Friendly’s Classic. Margaret Platt, Marianne Morris and Dottie Pepper were at 68. Two-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam of Sweden paced a group at 69.

Mike Sullivan capped a seven-under-par 65 with three consecutive birdies and held a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in Madison, Miss. Tied for second were Kirk Triplett, Robert Gamez, Dudley Hart, Bryan Gorman and Hisayuki Sasak.

Tim Hogarth, 30, of Van Nuys, who recently regained his amateur status, beat defending champion Chris Wollman of Parma, Ohio, 3 and 2, in the second round of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Wailua, Hawaii.

Hogarth also knocked out John Zitkovic, 39, of Toledo, Ohio, 2 and 1, to advance to the quarterfinals.

Tennis

Top-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania was ejected from the Palermo Grand Prix women’s tennis tournament in Sicily for insulting the referee. She was also fined $10,000. Spirlea, the defending champion, won the first set, 7-5, but lost the second, 7-6 (8-6), to Belgian Stephanie De Ville. Spirlea sharply disputed a line call with the score tied, 15-15, in the deciding set and was ousted.

Top-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria polished off Galo Blanco of Spain, 6-3, 6-0, in 65 minutes and moved into the quarterfinals of the Mercedes Cup tournament in Stuttgart, Germany.

Top-seeded Anke Huber beat Angela Lettiere, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals of the A&P; Classic in Mahwah, N.J.

Boxing

A House subcommittee moved toward making it harder for fighters to elude medical suspensions by crossing state lines or boxing under another name by voting, 11-10, to impose national standards on the sport.

Miscellany

The Oklahoma-based Miami Indian tribe withdrew its longtime support for Miami University’s use of Redskins as a nickname.