Martese Johnson: Task Force Does Not Recommend Stripping Virginia ABC of Policing Powers

A task force tasked with reviewing the arrest of Martese Johnson by Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) officers elected not to recommend stripping the agency of its policing powers.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe appointed the 20-member task force due to video evidence that showed the ABC officers pinning Johnson to the ground, his face bloodied by a gash on his head, The Associated Press reported.

A student at the University of Virginia, Johnson was denied entrance to a local bar in March. 20 years old at the time, he was also carrying a false ID. The ABC officers approached Johnson, and the interaction apparently turned violent. However, the video widely distributed on social media only captured Johnson lying on the ground, pinned by officers, his face bloodied.

Johnson was charged with public intoxication, obstruction of justice, and resisting arrest, but maintained throughout that he was not even carrying a false ID that night and was not doing anything most underage UVA students do not do. The wound on Johnson's head required 15 stitches.

Though the charges against Johnson were eventually dropped, a local prosecutor determined the ABC officers did not do anything wrong, The AP noted. Three officers involved in the arrest have since returned from desk duty to their regular routine.

McAuliffe commissioned the task force to determine whether or not the ABC should keep its policing powers. Its 119-page report included testimony from more than 50 witnesses, The Washington Post reported. Though not able to explain Johnson's head wound, it did not recommend lessening the ABC's arresting authority.

Daniel P. Watkins, an attorney representing Johnson, told the newspaper his client is still considering filing a lawsuit against the Virginia ABC.

"The broader question still stands: How much force should police be permitted to use when investigating regulatory offenses?" Watkins said in a statement. "Our position has remained the same throughout: The Virginia ABC officers were not justified in their treatment of Mr. Johnson."