WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arising out of the death of a 31-year-old Australian national from a suicide that occurred on Oct. 15, 2025.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, security camera footage, body-worn camera footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, autopsy and toxicology reports, and reports from the MPD.
According to the evidence, on Oct. 15, 2025, P.M., a 31-year-old national from Australia was arrested on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge. P.M. was brought to the 5th District police station for processing. P.M. was placed in a cell and it was anticipated that he would be presented later in the day to a magistrate judge in Superior Court. P.M. removed his shirt and fashioned it into a noose and hung himself from the cell door. Officers discovering his body attempted to resuscitate him and called for an ambulance. Unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful and P.M. was declared dead at the scene.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers willfully violated the civilian’s rights.
Investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — District of Columbia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.