By Ciara Perez, Investigative Journalist | iSkyCreations – News & Media (ISC)
Published Jan 23rd, 2024
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that after an extensive investigation, no federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges will be filed against four U.S. Park Police (USPP) officers involved in the fatal police pursuit of James Herndon in June 2022.
This decision follows a comprehensive review conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, USPP, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The review encompassed a wide array of evidence, including witness accounts, physical evidence, body-worn and surveillance camera footage, traffic and aerial video footage, police radio recordings, and reports from both MPD and USPP.
The incident in question occurred on June 27, 2022, when MPD officers attempted to stop Herndon, who was on a three-wheeled vehicle. The stop was initiated based on inaccurate information that Herndon was a wanted homicide suspect. When Herndon fled, MPD began a pursuit and requested assistance from USPP. Subsequently, MPD discovered that Herndon was only wanted for questioning and terminated their pursuit. However, USPP, not notified of this updated information, continued the chase until Herndon lost control of his vehicle and crashed, resulting in his death at the scene.