A federal judge has delivered a scathing ruling against police in Washington DC, declaring they illegally seized a firearm from a man stopped outside a laundromat and strongly criticising federal prosecutors for relying on testimony from an officer with a history of credibility issues.
Judge's Strong Rebuke of Police Testimony
US District Judge Ana Reyes ruled on Thursday 20th November 2025 that Metropolitan Police Department officers acted unlawfully when they seized a gun from Deandre Davis during an encounter outside a Washington DC laundromat on 19th May. The judge expressed "extreme disappointment" that prosecutors from US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office decided to call Metropolitan Police Department Investigator Harvy Hinostroza to testify during a pretrial hearing.
Judge Reyes didn't hold back in her assessment, stating she found key portions of Hinostroza's testimony unreliable. "He has been dishonest about major issues in the past," the judge noted, adding that the courts cannot tolerate police officers providing false testimony under oath.
Pattern of Questionable Testimony Emerges
This isn't the first time Investigator Hinostroza's credibility has been called into question. According to defence attorney Eugene Ohm, at least two other judges in DC Superior Court have previously discredited Hinostroza's testimony about smelling marijuana before making arrests.
In the current case, Hinostroza testified that he saw Davis standing with two other men and passing around a marijuana cigarette. However, surveillance camera footage contradicted key details of the officers' account of why they approached the men.
Ohm, an assistant federal public defender, highlighted the implausibility of the officers' claims, noting they "purported to see this information from approximately a pool length away." He added respectfully that "no one's eyes are that good."
Consequences for the Case and Broader Implications
As a result of the ruling, Judge Reyes barred prosecutors from using the seized gun as evidence against Davis, who faced firearms charges following the May arrest. The judge also indicated she would consider a defence motion to dismiss the charges entirely if the US Attorney's office doesn't drop the case within the next 30 days.
The ruling comes at a sensitive time for policing in the nation's capital, with Washington DC facing increased public scrutiny of officer misconduct. The case raises serious questions about how federal authorities vet the officers they rely on for testimony, particularly as the city has become a focal point for national debates about crime, law enforcement and public trust.
Judge Reyes emphasised the broader implications of such cases, stating that unreliable police testimony "undermines the public's confidence in our system of justice." A spokesperson for Pirro's office didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the judge's remarks, while the police department declined to comment.
