Matthew V. Johnson, 33, of Atlanta has been accused of stealing a Mercedes-Benz from an auto shop and causing a serious accident with multiple injuries. It’s not every day that a well-known activist with the Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta is arrested after allegedly swiping a European luxury car and doing a violent hit and run.
Police in Metro Atlanta say they’re finally cracking down on illegal street takeovers.
While car theft is sadly a common issue in Atlanta, usually the people who commit these crimes aren’t prominent members of an anti-police movement like Stop Cop City. But as pointed out in a recent article from WSB-TV, Johnson stole the luxury car from an Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers location back on September 29, eventually crashing into several other cars, flipping a truck that rolled multiple times, injuring numerous people.
Employees from that auto shop told a local reporter that Johnson was there picking up his SUV after it was repaired when he reached over the counter and took the keys to the Mercedes-Benz. Why exactly he did such a thing isn’t entirely clear, but perhaps it has something to do with stopping the construction of “Cop City” or the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center?
Instead of sticking around to help the people he hurt, Johnson reportedly took off on foot but was eventually caught by police. Now he’s facing several criminal charges for the crime spree. However, Johnson posted bond and is no longer in jail.
Most interesting is how WSB-TV points out Johnson is the executive director of a social justice nonprofit organization called Beloved Community Ministries. Does social justice entail stealing someone’s car, then injuring several people through reckless driving? We’re really curious what Johnson’s take on such an unconventional approach is.
+ There are no comments
Add yours