U.Va. student hurt during arrest speaks out: "How could this happen?"
RICHMOND, Va. -- A University of Virginia student who was bloodied during an arrest by a state liquor control agent said Thursday that during his ordeal he wondered how such a thing could happen.
Martese Johnson appeared at a news conference Thursday evening, where his attorney, Daniel Watkins, read a statement from the injured man.
In the statement, Johnson described being "shocked that my face was slammed into the brick pavement just across the street from where I attend school."
"As the officers held me down, one thought raced through my mind: how could this happen?" Johnson's statement read.
"I trust the scars will one day heal, but the trauma of what the officers did will stay with me forever," the statement said. "I believe we as a community are better than this. We cannot allow the actions of a few officers to ruin the community of trust we have worked so hard to build."
Johnson and his lawyer did not take questions from reporters. The 20-year-old's mother Dychea Johnson, flew in from Chicago and attended the news conference with another son, Michael.
A photo of the arrest early Wednesday morning outside a Charlottesville bar showed Johnson on the pavement, his face bloodied, being held down by an unidentified officer. In a dark and hard-to-see video, Johnson -- who is black -- can be heard repeatedly calling the white officers (expletive) racists.
Johnson, who needed 10 stitches to close a gash in his head, was charged on two counts: obstruction of justice without force, and public swearing or intoxication, Charlottesville General District Court records show. He has no prior criminal record.
The arrest report said Johnson was belligerent with Alcoholic Beverage Control agents, but he was not charged with resisting arrest.
"At no time throughout the encounter did Martese present, as has been reported by some in the media, a fake I.D.," Watkins said Thursday.
Outraged students have been demonstrating in support of Johnson, a popular student leader recently elected vice chairman of the U.Va. Honor Committee. About 1,000 students attended a rally at U.Va. Wednesday night.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe has ordered the Virginia State Police to investigate the incident, which has raised questions among state lawmakers about whether ABC agents should have the power to make arrests.
State police said that an "administrative review" will be conducted along with a criminal investigation requested by the Charlottesville prosecutor.
"We owe it to both Mr. Johnson and the Virginia ABC to be painstakingly thorough in determining the facts of the situation through interviews, evidence collection and analysis, and investigative procedure," Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty said in a written statement.
ABC spokeswoman Valerie Hubbard declined to comment Thursday on calls to revoke arrest powers the department has had since its inception. The department has about 130 sworn officers across the state who received the same training as other police officers.
Hubbard said three agents involved in the arrest have been put on administrative duty while state police investigate.