Michael Brown's Friend Dorian Johnson Is Arrested

On Wednesday afternoon, Dorian Johnson, Michael Brown's friend, was arrested for allegedly attempting to stop an arrest and reportedly "discarding suspected narcotics on the ground," according to St. Louis County Police spokeswoman Leah K. Freeman. Johnson was with Brown when the unarmed black teenager was shot and killed by a white police officer last August. Earlier on Wednesday, an attorney announced Johnson was suing the city of Ferguson, as well as its former police chief Thomas Jackson and Darren Wilson, the officer who fatally shot Brown.

Johnson's arrest took place after police officers were called to check on people who were possibly carrying firearms, according to USA Today. During the approach, authorities claimed Johnson interfered with an arrest and allegedly threw narcotics on the ground. Local station KSDK said charges against Johnson are set to be filed Thursday.

The suit claims Wilson used excessive force when he approached Brown and Johnson on Aug. 9 and "acted with deliberate indifference or reckless disregard" for their rights. Johnson claims he suffered psychological damage and emotional distress from the day Brown was shot. According to local stations KTVI and KPLR, Johnson is seeking $25,000 in damages and requesting an injunction against discriminatory practices within the Ferguson police department.

Johnson was with Brown when the unarmed black teenager was fatally shot by Wilson. It was Johnson who claimed Brown was shot "like an animal" and whose testimony became a crucial part of the indictment proceedings. According to CNN, Johnson's account of what happened the day of Brown's death remained largely consistent from his initial interviews to his grand jury testimony.

In November, the grand jury decided not to charge Wilson for his role in Brown's death, which sparked massive protests against police violence nationwide and increased awareness of later deaths of other black men at the hands of police. On April 23, Brown's family filed a separate wrongful death suit against the city of Ferguson, Wilson, and Jackson.

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