It has been almost a month since the forceful arrest of Martese Johnson by plain clothes officers of Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control. The incident happened at midnight on St. Patrick’ Day not far from the University of Virginia’s campus. It started after Johnson allegedly presented the owner of Trinity Irish Pub a false ID. And when officers confronted him, he became belligerent.
Bystanders who caught the ordeal on video gave viewers a firsthand look at what really happened that night.
The arrest left Johnson’s face bruised and bloodied after the officers pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him. They charged him with public drunkenness and resisting arrest.
However, these charges seem preposterous to those that know Johnson. Johnson is a junior honor student at the University of Virginia, and he is involved in numerous organizations around campus. He had no previous run-ins with the law and is known as being well-respected by his peers on campus. So how does an individual like that end up face down on the sidewalk?
His roommate told news sources the ID Johnson presented to the pub that night was not fake, but had a separate ZIP code from the one his mother used. Johnson’s mother, a Chicago native, recently moved and changed codes. Johnson had not remembered it yet, so when asked for his ZIP code by the pub owner, he accidently gave the wrong one.
According to an NBC news release, Kevin Badke, owner of Trinity Irish Pub, said Johnson was not irate and was actually well-mannered. The two had a brief discussion, and Badke explained to Johnson reasons he would not be permitted to enter the pub. He said at no point did he detect Johnson was intoxicated during their discussion. Badke went on to explain Johnson left the pub and walked further down University Avenue. Moments later, he claimed there was commotion and officers were surrounding Johnson.
So the issue we are faced with and the question we need answered is why was he arrested in such a brutal manner? All signs show his innocence in the matter, and even his demeanor with the pub owner suggests he was in his right mind. If everyone agreed Johnson was initially sober and calm, how does something like this happen?
When I think about this case, it feels like a familiar narrative to me. A young black male who is profiled for some reason and is harassed by law enforcement. I know there are more officers that adhere to their training and do not confront individuals based on their own personal views of society, yet there are still officers who see their badge as a right to abuse their authority. Something is definitely wrong when a young man with a positive future in store for him gets handcuffed and a knee to his head. When a young man’s education and integrity leaves him with a bloody face, something is very wrong indeed.
When I asked a few people around campus about the incident, many felt it is a constant portrayal and stereotype of a black male in dispute with law enforcement.
Rosalyn Odum, senior kinesiology major, said the officers lacked respect for Johnson as a person, despite his merits.
“Clearly it doesn’t matter at all. Going to college, having a degree and having a good job doesn’t mean anything,” Odum said. “All they see is black and then violence. They aren’t learning from other officers’s mistakes.”
Odum also said she believes a change has to happen in law enforcement first; otherwise the trend of violence on black males will extend into the next generation. Timothy Fair, assistant director of MSU’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, explained how stereotypes give rise to deeper issues.
“It’s far different to stereotype than it is to discriminate.” Fair said. “We all hold certain biases. Part of learning to accept other people is acknowledging those biases. However, When a stereotype turns to hate and discriminatory practices is when you have a problem.”
Fair also said he believes websites like Twitter have been a driving force behind revealing injustices and empowering young people to address them.
“Social media allows people to access information about disparities and injustice often in real-time, and a lot of citizens, specifically university students, are able to express their disdain for hate. It really gives young people a platform. This is a new way for students to get involved with the click of a button,” he said.
I believe this generation is in pace for a civil rights movement of its own. Just like those before us, we will have to rise up and face injustice. Although things have improved over the years, we cannot become comfortable and complacent. Apathy has always been, and will forever be the adversary of progress.
