Washington D.C.'s initiative to combat violent crime, "Make D.C. Safe Again," has led to another indictment, this time targeting a felon caught with a firearm after problematic behavior in Northeast D.C.
Lawrence A. Jordan, a 44-year-old D.C. resident, faces federal charges for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF, and Chief Pamela Smith of the MPD, who are committed to utilizing additional resources to tackle the city's gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for those violators according to the Department of Justice.
Documents filed in court detail the November 16 incident where officers were dispatched to an address on the 700 block of 2nd Street, NE, due to disorderly conduct, Jordan, who was not a resident, was removed from an apartment complex and a fitness center attached to it, and within an hour authorities received reports of a lewd act being committed in the same fitness center by an individual later identified as Jordan, he had escaped before police arrived.
Following up on a separate incident a week later, on November 23, police arrested Jordan in the 1300 block of H Street, NE, on aggressive panhandling allegations and discovered he was carrying a loaded, semi-automatic pistol, according to court documents.
Having a previous felony conviction, Jordan legally prohibited from firearm or ammunition possession under federal law, yet he now stands accused of this crime based on the evidence marshaled against him—though it is important to remember that an indictment is not a conviction, and Jordan maintains the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise in a court of law.
The ongoing investigation is a joint effort between the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold leading the prosecution for this case. The implications of this indictment reflect the determined stance of law enforcement to suppress the surge of gun-related crimes in the nation's capital under the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative.
