UVA Honor Student Martese Johnson arrest sparks outrage and protests

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The violent arrest of a Black honor student at the University of Virgina has sparked an investigation. Meanwhile outraged students and community members demand answers into what happened that night.

What happened to Martese Johnson?

Martese Johnson was reportedly bloodied by officers Tuesday night for trying to enter a local pub with an alleged fake ID. His violent arrest hit the internet immediately after someone uploaded the video, and it went viral. Photos of the incident also spread online, showing Johnson’s bloodied face as the officer holds him down.

Johnson, a third‑year student and a member of the Honor Committee and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, police arrested around 12:45 a.m. on Mar. 18 in front of Trinity Irish Pub on the Corner.

Virginia’s governor has called for an investigation on Johnson’s arrest. Johnson’s lawyer said his client needed 10 stitches in his head.

Charges against the honor student

Johnson faced charges of obstruction of justice without force and public swearing or intoxication, Charlottesville General District Court records show.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control agent who made the arrest, listed in court records as J. Miller, said in the arrest report that Johnson “was very agitated and belligerent.”

Johnson remained held on $1,500 bail with instructions to release him on an unsecured bond once he sobered up. Officials released him at 6:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Protests over Martese Johnson arrest

On Wednesday night hundreds of students marched and protested, demanding justice.

A witness who spoke with Yahoo! News, told the site that Johnson’s arrest was unnecessary and he was able to photograph the arrest:

UVA student Bryan Beaubrun said  Johnson was trying to get into the Trinity Irish Pub when he was stopped by a bouncer. Then, an ABC officer grabbed Johnson by the arm and pulled him away from the bar to speak with a group of police officers, Beaubrun said.

After about a minute, Beaubrun said, Johnson asked the ABC officer to let go of his arm and tried pulling away from the officer. At that point, another ABC officer grabbed Johnson from behind and the two ABC officers wrestled Johnson to the ground, Beaubrun said.

He said Johnson hit his head on the ground when he was tackled and that police acted with unnecessary force.

“He didn’t need to be tackled. He wasn’t being aggressive at all,” Beaubrun said.

Statement from Johnson’s lawyer

Johnson’s lawyer, Daniel P. Watkins, released a statement Wednesday night saying that Johnson “is absolutely devastated” by what happened.

He described Johnson as a 20-year-old, third-year student at UVA. He is majoring in Italian and Media Studies, holds “numerous leadership positions” at the school, and has no criminal record.

“We are preparing to investigate and defend this matter vigorously,” Watkins said.