Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has asked the Secretary of Public Safety to launch an investigation into the brutal arrest of a black, third-year UVA student by Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement agents. A video (warning, the footage is disturbing and contains strong language) shows the aftermath of the initial arrests, as three agents pin a bloodied Martese Johnson to the ground as a bystander yells, “His head is bleeding!” The 20-year-old was given 10 stitches in his head. According to Buzzfeed News, Johnson “was arrested on two misdemeanor charges of obstructing justice without force, and public swearing and intoxication.”
Johnson is a member of the university’s Honor Committee and has no criminal history. The school’s president released a letter, saying, “Today, as U.Va. students, faculty and staff who share a set of deeply held values, we stand unified in our commitment to seeking the truth about this incident.” The agents involved in the arrest have been placed on administrative duties as state officials investigate the arrest. Last night, at least 300 protestors gathered for a demonstration organized by UVA’s Black Student Alliance, and marched through Charlottesville, where the campus is located …
