TL/DR –
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, accused of killing a National Guard member and injuring another in Washington D.C. last year, has been ordered by federal judge, Amit Mehta, to be forcibly fed and receive medical treatment following a prolonged refusal to eat or drink while in custody. Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under humanitarian parole in 2021, is facing over a dozen federal charges, including murder and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. It remains unclear why Lakanwal is refusing food and medical care, and the Justice Department is currently reviewing whether to seek the death penalty in Lakanwal’s case.
A U.S. federal judge has prescribed force-feeding and medical treatment for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is charged with the fatal shooting of a National Guard member and gravely injuring another in Washington, D.C., in 2020. Lakanwal has been refusing to consume food or water while in government custody.
The order, issued by District Judge Amit Mehta, is intended to preserve Lakanwal’s life or prevent a significant health deterioration. The Justice Department reported that Lakanwal was moved to a D.C. hospital on July 9 to receive life-preserving medical treatment after refusing to eat since June as he awaits trial.
Mehta’s order will continue until Oct. 28.
Lakanwal, an Afghan national who was granted humanitarian parole into the U.S. in 2021, is accused of killing Army SPC Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe last November. He was also charged with trying to kill two other unnamed service members at the scene of the attack.
The victims were part of the West Virginia National Guard, deployed to D.C. streets as part of an anti-crime operation.
Lakanwal, facing federal charges including murder, attempted murder, assault, and firearm offenses, has pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department is considering whether to seek the death penalty in his case.
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