Nearly two months after being photographed with his face covered in blood following an arrest, Martese Johnson will see the charges against him dropped.
The University of Virginia (UVA) student was trying to enter a bar on March 18 despite being underage. After being turned away, Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) police officers tailed Johnson and his apprehension apparently escalated to the point where the student was thrown to the ground.
According to the Washington Post, Charlottesville prosecutor David Chapman filed a motion to drop the charges Thursday and a judge accepted it Friday. In a statement released alongside his filing, Chapman said he hopes this case to will lead to constructive discourse on "police and citizen relationships in a diverse community."
"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," he wrote.
ABC officers contended Johnson appeared inebriated or intoxicated in some way when they approached him and his resistance to arrest is what led to his head injury. Johnson was charged with public intoxication and obstruction of justice without force.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe put the ABC under review shortly after the incident, the Associated Press reported at the time.
As Reuters noted a few days later, McAuliffe ordered the ABC to be retrained in several aspects such as "use of force, cultural diversity, effective interaction with police and community policing."
"It has been our position all along that the Virginia ABC officers were not justified in their treatment of Mr. Johnson," Daniel Watkins, Johnson's attorney said in a statement. "When I notified him, he was truly ecstatic. His future remains bright and he looks forward to moving on with his life now that this matter has been resolved."
