Prominent Atlanta ‘Stop Cop City’ BLM leader arrested in violent hit-and-run involving stolen vehicle, multiple injured

Matthew V. Johnson, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia has been charged with theft by taking, reckless driving, and hit-and-run, jail records show.

Johnson is accused of stealing a Mercedes-Benz from Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers on Sept. 29. He then went on a rampage and crashed the stolen vehicle into multiple vehicles before running from the scene. Police were able to catch up to Johnson and took him into custody, according to WSB-TV.

Authorities say multiple people were injured by Johnson in the incident.

Employees at Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers told the outlet that Johnson was at the shop to pick up his SUV when he reached over the counter and stole the keys to another customer's Mercedes-Benz before paying for the work, surveillance footage shows.

Johnson took off in the stolen vehicle and headed down Moreland Avenue, ramming into multiple vehicles.

Traffic camera footage shows Johnson crashing into a white truck which barrel rolled multiple times before landing into oncoming traffic on the other side of the median.

Authorities say the driver of that vehicle was significantly injured but did not disclose the severity of the injuries.

Moments later, Johnson can be seen on video exiting the stolen vehicle and taking off running. He was arrested by police and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital before he was booked into jail.

Johnson is the executive director of Beloved Community Ministries, a local social justice nonprofit. He has been an outspoken critic of the creation of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which gained notoriety when it became the target of Antifa and other anti-police extremists who have taken up violent measures to stop the facility from being built. The group refers to themselves as "Stop Cop City," or "Atlanta Forest Defenders."

In September, authorities charged 61 Antifa militants belonging to these groups with violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Individual defendants are also facing other charges related to their particular roles, including terrorism.

The indictment alleges that "the purpose of Defend the Atlanta Forest is to occupy of parts or all of 381 forested acres in DeKalb County, Georgia that is owned by Atlanta Police Foundation and leased by the City of Atlanta to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center."

"Each individual charged in this indictment," it states, "knowingly joined the conspiracy in an attempt to prevent the training center from being built."

For months, Antifa members and other far-left extremists wreaked havoc on the area, carrying out numerous violent attacks, setting up potentially deadly booby traps, and generally making it impossible for officials to move forward on the project. The extremist group created an "autonomous zone" in the forest, which resulted in one of their activists being shot and killed by police after he opened fire on officers.

Johnson defended the now-deceased activist who attempted to kill police, saying the justified shooting was "murder" during an appearance on Status Coup News.

In June, Johnson disrupted Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens's press brief discussing the police training facility, which was cut short due to the disruption.

According to the outlet, Johnson was released from jail after making bail.