Former Washington Metro Transit Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Offense for Assaulting an Individual

A former Washington, D.C. Metro Transit Police Officer, Andra Vance, 45, was indicted today on charges that he used unreasonable force on an individual, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, and Metro Transit Police Chief Ronald A. Pavlik.

According to the indictment, on Feb. 16, 2018, Vance, while on duty as a Metro Transit Police Officer, assaulted an individual by striking the individual with a baton multiple times on the head and then using the baton to choke the individual. Vance’s actions resulted in bodily injury to the individual.

Vance faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the two civil rights violations. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Metro Transit Police Department conducted a routine review of Vance’s use of force within hours of the incident. Based on the review, the department immediately suspended Vance’s police powers, launched an internal investigation, and notified federal authorities.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Nicholas Reddick of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.