A 23-year-old D.C. man is headed to federal prison for just over two years after a police chase in the summer of 2025 ended with officers finding a loaded Glock tucked into his pant leg, according to federal prosecutors.
Authorities say the July 16, 2025 pursuit kicked off when Metropolitan Police officers recognized the car he was driving as stolen. By the end of the chase, the car was abandoned, the driver was in handcuffs, and a concealed handgun had turned a stolen-vehicle case into a federal firearms conviction.
Rarkease Charles Bishop pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and on Thursday U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 28 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors had pushed for a longer term of 37 months.
"He fled from officers, fought his arrest, and tried to hide the loaded gun," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in the office's statement, adding that Bishop committed the crime while on supervised release for a prior conviction involving carrying a pistol without a license.
How the Arrest Unfolded
According to WJLA, officers in a marked cruiser first spotted Bishop behind the wheel of a white Nissan Maxima on the 100 block of 42nd Street NE. The car had been reported stolen, and when police moved in, Bishop took off.
Officers later found the Maxima abandoned on the 200 block of 51st Street SE. They then saw Bishop on foot, allegedly clutching his waistband as he ran, a telltale sign that someone might be holding a weapon. After a chase through the neighborhood, officers caught up to him near the 5000 block of C Street SE.
Police say Bishop resisted arrest before he was finally taken into custody. A search turned up a Glock handgun hidden in his right pant leg, bringing the foot chase to a legally significant end.
Prosecution and Gun Details
Prosecutors said the weapon was a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber, loaded with one round in the chamber and 13 rounds in a 17-round capacity magazine. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The office also noted that Bishop was already on supervised release stemming from his earlier conviction for carrying a pistol without a license when he committed the new offense, a detail that likely did him no favors at sentencing.
Where This Case Fits In
Bishop's sentence lands against the backdrop of a broader federal crackdown on gun crime in the District, part of a strategy that grew out of White House executive actions and task forces launched in 2025, according to a fact sheet from the White House.
Supporters of that approach argue that focusing on repeat offenders and illegal firearms helps get the most dangerous cases off the street. Critics counter that while enforcement may bring short-term relief, it needs to be matched with serious community investment to drive down violence over the long haul.
For Bishop, the policy debate is now largely academic. He will serve his 28-month federal sentence and then remain under court supervision for three more years. The investigation was handled by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officials said.
