On early Wednesday morning, Virginia state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents arrested and bloodied a black University of Virginia undergraduate student. Martese Johnson, a 20-year-old junior at UVA, was charged with obstruction of justice without force and public swearing or intoxication. Johnson was denied entry to a bar near the UVA campus and was questioned by the state liquor agents. Johnson was thrown to the ground, suffering a head injury that required stitches.
Through a statement read by his lawyer, Johnson said that he was “shocked that my face was slammed into the brick pavement three blocks from where I attend school” and vowed to fight the charges that were brought against him. Johnson is a scholarship student at UVA and is a member of the school’s Honor Committee.
Following the arrest, students at UVA organized several protests and marches on the campus. Around 1000 students participated in a rally on Wednesday night, temporarily blocking some streets around the campus while demanding justice for Johnson. The Virginia State Police have begun an investigation into the matter.
Read more about the incident at the Los Angeles Times and at ABC News.
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