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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) and Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to Thomas Faust, the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DOC), regarding the department’s treatment of Ronald “Colton” McAbee.
On September 5, 2022, an altercation occurred between Mr. McAbee and Lieutenant Crystal Lancaster, a DOC employee, resulting in the discharge of chemical munitions in Mr. McAbee’s face. According to an account of the incident, this use of force was not only unprompted but may have violated the commonly used Use of Force Model employed by correctional agencies.
Congressman Nehls has attempted to acquire video footage of this incident for over 15 months. The DOC has so far refused to provide the footage. The Judiciary Committee has expressed serious concerns about the DOC’s continued lack of transparency and unwillingness to provide the requested information.
“For well over a year now, I have been trying to obtain the body camera footage of Lieutenant Lancaster that I believe would reveal a civil rights violation against former D.C. DOC J6 detainee, Mr. McAbee,” said Congressman Nehls. “It remains my mission to uncover this footage to get to the bottom of what really happened between Mr. McAbee and Lieutenant Lancaster. Every detainee, including J6 detainees, deserves to be treated humanely and receive due process. I thank my colleague, Chairman Jordan, for joining me in this effort.”
The full letter addressed several key points:
1. On January 9, 2023, Representative Nehls submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for relevant body camera footage.
2. On January 10, 2023, MPD stated it did not have ownership as Lieutenant Lancaster is not an MPD employee.
3. USMS denied the FOIA request on grounds that the footage is in DOC custody.
4. On January 19, 2023, DOC denied releasing the footage despite receiving a waiver from Mr. McAbee.
5. Subsequent requests and appeals were also denied or retracted by various authorities including Mayor Bowser's office.
Representative Nehls further explained that his FOIA request should not be exempt from disclosure as individuals are entitled to complete information regarding government affairs and actions by public officials.
In February 2024, during an oversight hearing with USMS Director Ronald Davis held by the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance of the Committee on the Judiciary, Representative Nehls reiterated his concerns about accessing the footage.
Despite assurances from Director Davis at that hearing that efforts would be made to assist in obtaining the footage, USMS later communicated they would still be unable to help.
The letter concludes with specific requests for:
- The body camera footage from September 5, 2022
- All documents related to Representative Nehls’s request
- Documents relating to any investigation into the incident
- Information on any disciplinary actions taken against Lieutenant Lancaster
The Committee seeks these materials no later than May 24, 2024.