Black student’s brutal arrest in Virginia sparks protest

A black college student has been injured during an arrest by officers in the US state of Virginia, sparking hundreds of students to protest against police brutality and racial profiling.

Martese Johnson, 20, suffered severe facial injuries on Wednesday after he was arrested by special agents from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

Johnson, a student at the University of Virginia, was arrested after an argument with a bouncer who refused him entry into a bar, according to ABC. He was charged with obstruction of justice, profane swearing and intoxication.

A graphic video has been posted on the Internet showing Johnson on the ground being arrested as his face is covered with blood.

The agents involved with the arrest have been restricted to administrative duties while a police investigation is conducted.

Students who witnessed Johnson’s arrest said police acted with unnecessary force.

“He didn’t need to be tackled. He wasn’t being aggressive at all,” UVA student Bryan Beaubrun said.

A student organization, called The Concerned Black Students, said in a statement that the arrest of Johnson was unprovoked and extreme.

“The brutish force used resulted in his head and bodily injuries,” the group said. “His treatment was unprovoked as he did not resist questioning or arrest.”

About 1,000 students gathered at the UVA campus Wednesday night to demand justice for Johnson, who attended the event.

Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe has ordered an investigation by state police over “the use of force in this matter.”

UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan said in an email to the campus community that she had “deep concern about the incident.”

Johnson’s treatment has renewed broader concerns in the US about police brutality that critics say disproportionately target African-American men.

US police departments have come under intense scrutiny in recent months following the death of several black men by white police officers who was later acquitted by grand juries.