The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C.'s police department, alleging that the city's firearms restrictions violate the Second Amendment by criminalizing possession of certain legal guns. The suit targets bans on semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, which cannot be registered locally. Officials argue this infringes on residents' rights to bear arms for self-defense.
The Department of Justice's lawsuit claims that Washington, D.C.'s firearms laws unconstitutionally incriminate law-abiding citizens who possess protected firearms not eligible for registration. According to the complaint, the Metropolitan Police Department routinely arrests individuals for owning semi-automatic rifles, such as AR-15s, which are banned in the district despite being safeguarded by the Second Amendment.
Gun owners in D.C. must register their firearms through the Metropolitan Police Department, but semi-automatic rifles are not registrable. The suit details that possessing such a firearm at home for self-defense can result in penalties ranging from an administrative fine to a misdemeanor conviction, carrying up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the case's significance, stating it is part of the DOJ's newly established Second Amendment Section. She said, “This underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.” Bondi further noted, “Washington, DC’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment — living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division added, “The newly established Second Amendment Section filed this lawsuit to ensure that the very rights D.C. resident Mr. Heller secured 17 years ago are enforced today — and that all law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes may do so.” The reference to Mr. Heller alludes to the 2008 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, which affirmed individual gun rights.
This legal action unfolds amid heightened federal presence in D.C., with agents and the National Guard patrolling streets following President Donald Trump’s August order to address crime. Recently, MPD Chief Pamela Smith resigned amid Republican-led House Oversight Committee accusations that she manipulated crime data. Smith defended herself, saying, “Let’s be really clear about one thing: Never would I, never will I ever compromise my integrity for a few crime numbers,” per NBC 4 Washington. Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll now heads the department.
The Metropolitan Police Department stated it “does not comment on pending litigation,” while the mayor’s office and city attorney’s office offered no response.
