NASHVILLE — Junior safety Brandon Johnson has been dismissed from the Tennessee football team, according to a source close to the program.

Johnson, who was suspended indefinitely after being arrested in the early morning hours of Oct. 18 for discharging a firearm into the air, had hoped to be reinstated pending a scheduled appearance before the UT student conduct committee Friday.

Johnson was charged with felony reckless endangerment after firing a pistol belonging to teammate Chris Heath while visiting the apartment of a teammate Cedric Houston in the Fort Sanders area.

An off-duty police officer living in the area heard a gunshot and saw Johnson standing in the doorway of the apartment with a gun in his hand and moving the slide on the gun back and forth, according to a police report.

Heath, who was on a medical scholarship at the time of the incident, was charged with unlawful carrying and possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. Heath, a defensive back, was dismissed from the team the same day.

Johnson, a criminal justice major who transferred to UT from Northeast Oklahoma A&M College in the spring of 2003, faces the felony charge in Knox County General Sessions Court on Wednesday.

Johnson started the first six games this season at strong safety and was coming off a two-interception performance in the Vols' 21-17 win at Ole Miss.

Johnson was suspended from playing in the Peach Bowl in January for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Since Johnson's suspension took effect, the Vols have started three different strong safeties, most recently, junior Robert Boulware.

Boulware is expected to make his second consecutive start at strong safety in today's game at Vanderbilt.