Tywan J. Cummings, a D.C. man, has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for a series of violent crimes, including carjacking and shooting at police officers. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office, the 44-year-old pleaded guilty in August to carjacking, using firearms in a violent crime, and assaulting police with a deadly weapon.
On May 17, 2020, Cummings began his crime spree in Washington D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood. He pointed an AR-style rifle at a man filling his BMW's tire, took the vehicle, and then drove into Maryland. There, he forced a nurse outside a hospital to surrender her Hyundai Tucson. The pursuit continued across multiple jurisdictions, with Cummings eventually driving a stolen Honda Ridgeline back to D.C. The chaos led to a collision near a gas station, and Cummings fired shots at both Maryland and Metropolitan Police Department officers. He later sought refuge in an occupied home on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, leading to a police barricade situation.
The MPD's Emergency Response Team intervened and apprehended Cummings without any physical injuries to the victims. A handgun, rifle, and ammunition were found at the scene. Cummings has remained in custody since the events occurred. His actions were investigated by the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force, the MPD, and several other local police departments, including Bowie, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments.
Cummings' guilty plea resulted in a 204-month sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. He will also serve a mandatory five-year period of supervised release.
