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The US Attorney's Office for DC announced that there is not enough evidence to pursue possible federal charges against a Metropolitan Police Department detective or special agent from the ATF following the death of 44-year-old District resident "M.P." who took a host of drugs and overdosed while behind bars.
Officials say that the detective and special agent were the last two to see M.P., who died at the Metropolitan Police Second District Station while in custody.
According to prosecutors, in early February, M.P. was arrested on a warrant out of DC Superior Court, and he was cooperative during the arrest and subsequent processing at police headquarters.
He was "coherent and cooperative and did not appear to be in distress during processing," they said, though once he was placed in a cell, M.P. covered the cell block camera, and after using the toilet, unexpectedly fell to the floor.
Unaware that M.P. was down, the detective and special agent only discovered the overdose when they went to interview him minutes later, "but M.P. appeared to be either sleeping or unwilling to speak to them."
Later, he was found unconscious in his cell, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. An autopsy the day after his death determined that M.P. died due to the combined effects of ingesting cocaine, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, and heroin.
"After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the detective and special agent demonstrated deliberate indifference to M.P.’s condition or otherwise willfully violated M.P.’s rights," investigators stated.
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