Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
WASHINGTON – Nelson Bryant, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Bryant was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, MPD officers were conducting routine foot patrol in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, Washington D.C. when an unidentified citizen alerted an MPD officer to a man with a firearm. Shortly thereafter, officers observed an individual, later identified as defendant Nelson Bryant, matching the citizen’s description in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW. Officers initiated a stop of Bryant, at which point they allegedly witnessed him remove a handgun from his waistband and hand it to an unknown individual within a nearby crowd.
It is alleged that this unknown male dropped the handgun and fled on foot eastbound on U Street. Bryant was subsequently apprehended by MPD Officers. The firearm, which Bryant allegedly removed from his waistband, was recovered at the location where the unknown subject dropped it.
Bryant is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD Officers and Detectives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Emory V. Cole.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.