25-year-old Larnell Hutchinson will be spending the next 46 months behind bars, a decision handed down by the U.S. District Court following his guilty plea to a charge of unlawful firearm possession by a felon. Hutchinson, from the District of Columbia, found himself in hot water after a foot chase with police in June 2024 resulted in the discovery of a Taurus semiautomatic pistol and a Glock 17. The Justice Department reported yesterday that in addition to the prison term, Hutchinson also received a sentence of three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Hutchinson was stationed at a bus stop when officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Crime Suppression Division’s Robbery Suppression Unit, dressed in plain clothes but marked with tactical vests, spotted him. Startled and reaching for his waistband, Hutchinson launched into a sprint at the sight of the approaching officers. It was during this flight, at around 6:51 p.m. on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, where Hutchinson made the decision to ditch the two firearms — one stolen and loaded with 19 rounds, another with 12. An official statement obtained by The Justice Department provides a detailed account of these events.
Both the Taurus pistol and the Glock 17 were recovered later by the police. Hutchinson, who has a rap sheet that includes robbery and armed robbery convictions, was arrested shortly after the incident. The effective collaboration between the local police and FBI Washington Field Office was instrumental in bringing Hutchinson's case before the court. In a press release from The Justice Department, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. together with Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI and Chief Pamela Smith of the MPD announced the sentence.
The prosecution was carried out by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who urged the court to consider Hutchinson's previous criminal history during sentencing.
