A tense scene unfolded near the National Mall on Wednesday afternoon after a detainee attempted to escape federal custody following a traffic stop.
Video recorded by NBC Washington reporter Aimee Cho shows federal agents, joined by at least one officer from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, pulling over a blue SUV driven by a Spanish-speaking man. After stepping out of the vehicle, the man suddenly tried to run, prompting agents to chase him down and tackle him to the ground.
As he was restrained, the man shouted in Spanish that he was “not a criminal” and claimed that he worked in the city. Authorities have not released additional details about the incident, including his immigration status or the reason for the initial stop.
The arrest comes amid a broader federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., ordered by President Donald Trump to address rising violent crime. Hundreds of federal agents and National Guard personnel have been deployed to the capital, with the D.C. Metropolitan Police placed under federal direction following a series of high-profile incidents, including the killing of a congressional intern, the assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer, and the murder of two employees of the Israeli embassy.