Martese Johnson is going to be fine—at least physically. The 10 stitches that the college student received as the result of an altercation with "J.Miller," a Virginia State Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) officer, will eventually heal, and hopefully the 20-year-old will be able readjust to college life and put the incident largely behind him. The psychological ramifications of his encounter—played out on the street and immortalized via social media—could, however, stick with the young man for the rest of his life.
Reports surfaced Wednesday that Johnson, a junior at the University of Virginia (UVA), was apprehended on Tuesday night on charges of resisting arrest, obstructing justice without threats of force, and swearing profanely or being intoxicated in public. He had allegedly tried to enter a pub with a fake ID.
During the confrontation Johnson got into a scuffle with Miller, a special agent, and injured his head. Miller noted on the arrest record that Johnson “was very agitated and belligerent but [has] no previous criminal history.” After being held on $1,500 bail, Johnson was released early Wednesday morning, slightly less than six hours after the arrest was made.
Many in the campus community quickly expressed their support for Johnson:
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
And last night, students gathered on campus chanting: "If we don't get it, shut it down!" Johnson himself addressed the crowd: "I beg for you guys to please respect everyone here ... we really are one community."