U.Va. student tells his story after encounter with police

Martese Johnson’s encounter with law enforcement catapulted him into the middle of a national conversation about race and police brutality. He filed a $3 millioncivil rights suit on Oct. 21. We reached out to him to get his story.

In Parts 1 and 2 of the video, shown below, he talks about growing up on Chicago’s South Side and his encounter with police at the University of Virginia.

Martese Johnson: Police violence followed me from Chicago to U.Va.

Martese Johnson's encounter with police catapulted him into the middle of a national conversation about race and police brutality.

Jenna Adamson

In Part 3, shown below, Johnson talks about why he was glad the confrontation happened to him and how he became an activist.

Martese Johnson: How police confrontation made me an activist

Martese Johnson discusses working with #blacklivesmatter from afar and activism at the University of Virginia. He plans to develop an outreach program for college students to encourage racial understanding about police brutality.

Jenna Adamson

Police investigation

The Virginia State Police conducted an investigation into Johnson’s arrest. According to their report, witnesses say Johnson had been drinking before the incident. The investigation also confirms Johnson received lacerations that required stitches. Read more in the report, which was released Sept. 22.