Dion Zellars, a 35-year-old Baltimore resident, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge connected to the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. announced the indictment alongside Anthony Spotswood from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin seeks to curb violent crime in Washington, D.C. by focusing on gun violence. It prioritizes federal firearms violations, aims at tougher penalties for offenders, and detention of federal firearms violators.
Zellars faces a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The events leading to his indictment occurred on March 20, 2025, when MPD officers from the Crime Suppression Team engaged in a foot pursuit in Southeast Washington.
At approximately 4:25 p.m., officers patrolling the 4200 block of Southern Avenue, Southeast, observed a group of individuals. Zellars, upon noticing the police, distanced himself from the group and attempted to hide behind a parked SUV. Officers noticed him acting evasively and pretending to talk on a phone. They then saw him clutch an object in his waistband before running away. During the pursuit, Zellars discarded a black handgun into a backyard.
He was apprehended in another backyard, and the thrown firearm was later identified as a Glock. Zellars is barred from possessing firearms and ammunition due to previous felony convictions.
The investigation into this case is a joint effort by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lawrence Barclay.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.