Prosecutors Drop Charges Against U-Va. Student in Tussle With Officers
Martese Johnson, left, walks to the Charlottesville General District Court with attorney Daniel Watkins for a hearing on Thursday, May 28, 2015 in Charlottesville, Va. Johnson’s bloody arrest outside a bar sparked a public uproar. (Ryan M. Kelly/AP)
By T. Rees Shapiro June 11 at 7:09 PM
Prosecutors in Charlottesville have filed a request to drop charges against Martese Johnson, the black University of Virginia student who was thrown to the ground and bloodied during his arrest by white Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control officers in March.
Dave Chapman, commonwealth’s attorney for the city, said in a news release Thursday that he planned to drop misdemeanor charges against Johnson after looking over the case.
“Upon review of the evidence resulting from a thorough and independent criminal investigation conducted by the Virginia State Police, the Commonwealth reached a conclusion that the interest of justice and the long term interest of the Charlottesville community are best served by using this case as an opportunity to engage ordinary citizens, law enforcement officers, and public officials in constructive dialogue concerning police and citizen relationships in a diverse community,” Chapman said.
Johnson, 20, was arrested in the early hours of March 18 after he was turned away from a bar during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In a confrontation with police, Johnson was pinned to the sidewalk as white ABC officers handcuffed him and shackled his ankles.
Chapman said Thursday that the officers involved in the arrest will not face criminal charges.
Students who watched the arrest captured the incident in videos and images that caused an uproar online. One image showed Johnson howling, his face dripping with blood as officers held him to the ground. He later received 10 stitches for a head wound.
The arrest came amid heightened racial tensions nationwide. Johnson’s charges spurred protests and demonstrations at U-Va., with some students saying that the altercation was another example of discrimination and injustice endured by young black men at the hands of white officers.
Scores of black students, who represent 6 percent of the university’s 16,000 undergraduates, marched across campus, fists in the air and displaying signs that read “Black Lives Matter.”
The arrest also renewed focus on the ABC’s law enforcement branch. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) ordered the state’s special agents to undergo additional training on cultural diversity.
Johnson’s lawyer, Daniel Watkins, said Thursday that he had been hoping for the best but was preparing for the worst at a scheduled hearing in the case that was expected to come Friday. He said Johnson, a rising U-Va. senior, was elated when he heard the news.
“I’m glad that he was vindicated this way,” Watkins said. “When you’re facing criminal charges yourself, everyone under the sun can say don’t worry about it, but no one is facing jail time other than you, so the fact that it’s official means that he can move on with the next part of his life.”
Double-majoring in Italian and Media Studies, Johnson serves as an elected representative on the university’s prestigious Honor Committee, which oversees the school’s honor code. A Chicago native, he also is a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member and is spending the summer in the District for an internship on Capitol Hill.
At a May court appearance in Charlottesville, Johnson told reporters that “I hope that in the near future this process will end. It’s endured a bit longer than we all expected, but I believe that justice will be served at the end of the day.”
Watkins also credited Chapman with offering to hold a community-wide conversation in Charlottesville in coming days about his decision to dismiss the charges.
“In talking to Dave Chapman today, he has indicated that this is a good opportunity to engage the community at large about police encounters with citizens, because it’s educational for both sides,” Watkins said.
T. Rees Shapiro is an education reporter.
By T. Rees Shapiro June 11 at 7:09 PM
Prosecutors in Charlottesville have filed a request to drop charges against Martese Johnson, the black University of Virginia student who was thrown to the ground and bloodied during his arrest by white Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control officers in March.
Dave Chapman, commonwealth’s attorney for the city, said in a news release Thursday that he planned to drop misdemeanor charges against Johnson after looking over the case.
“Upon review of the evidence resulting from a thorough and independent criminal investigation conducted by the Virginia State Police, the Commonwealth reached a conclusion that the interest of justice and the long term interest of the Charlottesville community are best served by using this case as an opportunity to engage ordinary citizens, law enforcement officers, and public officials in constructive dialogue concerning police and citizen relationships in a diverse community,” Chapman said.
Johnson, 20, was arrested in the early hours of March 18 after he was turned away from a bar during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. In a confrontation with police, Johnson was pinned to the sidewalk as white ABC officers handcuffed him and shackled his ankles.
Chapman said Thursday that the officers involved in the arrest will not face criminal charges.
Students who watched the arrest captured the incident in videos and images that caused an uproar online. One image showed Johnson howling, his face dripping with blood as officers held him to the ground. He later received 10 stitches for a head wound.
The arrest came amid heightened racial tensions nationwide. Johnson’s charges spurred protests and demonstrations at U-Va., with some students saying that the altercation was another example of discrimination and injustice endured by young black men at the hands of white officers.
Scores of black students, who represent 6 percent of the university’s 16,000 undergraduates, marched across campus, fists in the air and displaying signs that read “Black Lives Matter.”
The arrest also renewed focus on the ABC’s law enforcement branch. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) ordered the state’s special agents to undergo additional training on cultural diversity.
Johnson’s lawyer, Daniel Watkins, said Thursday that he had been hoping for the best but was preparing for the worst at a scheduled hearing in the case that was expected to come Friday. He said Johnson, a rising U-Va. senior, was elated when he heard the news.
“I’m glad that he was vindicated this way,” Watkins said. “When you’re facing criminal charges yourself, everyone under the sun can say don’t worry about it, but no one is facing jail time other than you, so the fact that it’s official means that he can move on with the next part of his life.”
Double-majoring in Italian and Media Studies, Johnson serves as an elected representative on the university’s prestigious Honor Committee, which oversees the school’s honor code. A Chicago native, he also is a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity member and is spending the summer in the District for an internship on Capitol Hill.
At a May court appearance in Charlottesville, Johnson told reporters that “I hope that in the near future this process will end. It’s endured a bit longer than we all expected, but I believe that justice will be served at the end of the day.”
Watkins also credited Chapman with offering to hold a community-wide conversation in Charlottesville in coming days about his decision to dismiss the charges.
“In talking to Dave Chapman today, he has indicated that this is a good opportunity to engage the community at large about police encounters with citizens, because it’s educational for both sides,” Watkins said.
T. Rees Shapiro is an education reporter.
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