Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) called for an investigation into the violent, bloody arrest of University of Virginia (UVA) student Martese Johnson, reported the BBC.
“Governor McAuliffe is concerned by the reports of this incident and has asked the secretary of public safety to initiate an independent Virginia State Police investigation into the use of force,” said McAuliffe’s office.
Early Wednesday morning, officers with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) violently arrested Johnson, causing a bloody head injury that required 10 stitches. According to the arrest record, Johnson, an honor student with a clean criminal record, was drunk and loud.
He was charged with “resisting arrest, obstructing justice without threats of force, and profane swearing or intoxication.”
However, witnesses of the incident say officers “brutalized” Johnson during the arrest. Daniel Watkins, Johnson’s attorney, said “just before handcuffing him, police took Martese to the ground, striking his head on the pavement and causing him to bleed profusely from the gash on his head.”
Witnesses who were at the scene shot and filmed the incident and posted the photos and videos to social media sites.
From Twitter:
I stand with Martese Johnson. There is no excuse for this. @VirginiaABC you should be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/4j3bnfDlBI
— UVAProblems (@UVAProbs) March 18, 2015
The Cavalier Daily obtained this video and posted it onto YouTube.
Hundreds of UVA students have gathered in protest against the extreme use of force used against Johnson. Exactly how much longer do American citizens have to deal with overzealous, violent police officers? This has been out-of-hand for way too long.
