Police
UVA student Martese Johnson sues liquor agent for $3 Million
Univ. of Virginia student Martese Johnson sues liquor agent for $3 million in lawsuit alleging wrongful arrest.
Martese Johnson, the University of Virginia student whose bloody arrest photo went viral, sues those involved in his case.
He filed a $3 million lawsuit Tuesday against the state liquor agents involved in his highly scrutinized arrest, reports The Chicago Sun Times.
UVA Student Martese Johnson Sues Liquor Agent
Martese Johnson, 21, of Chicago, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. It alleges unlawful detention and excessive use of force by three Alcoholic Beverage Control agents.
The website reports:
Video and photos of Johnson being pinned to the sidewalk by ABC agents during the March arrest were widely distributed on social media. Johnson, who is black, could be heard on the video calling the officers racist. He was bleeding from a gash in his head that, according to his lawyer, needed 15 stitches to close.
“The Agents’ brutal and unjustified attack on Martese has left Martese permanently disfigured as there is scarring to Martese’s forehead and scalp,” the lawsuit says.
Johnson was charged with obstruction of justice and public intoxication or swearing, but those charges were subsequently dropped.
After an investigation, the Charlottesville prosecutor determined that the agents did nothing wrong and declined to file charges.
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