Judge Authorizes Involuntary Feeding of Jailed Suspect in National Guard Shooting

Judge Approves Emergency Medical Order

A federal judge has authorized involuntary feeding for a man jailed on charges that he shot two National Guard troops near the White House, killing one of them. S. District Judge Amit Mehta agreed on Saturday to order "nonconsensual" nutrition and medical treatment for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was rushed to a hospital in July after he stopped eating, as reported by multiple outlets including the Associated Press, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, CP24, Hindustan Times, SFGATE, WTOP, and South China Morning Post.

Judge Mehta ruled that federal Bureau of Prisons medical staff can feed Lakanwal intravenously or through a medical tube to save his life, according to court documents cited by the Associated Press and other outlets. The order, which expires Oct. 28 but can be renewed, was issued after Justice Department prosecutors requested emergency life-saving measures, as detailed by CP24.

The prosecutors' written request was not immediately made public in online court records, according to reports. Redacted court filings have not specified a reason for Lakanwal's refusal to eat, but prosecutors noted that courts have held that prison officials can involuntarily feed "hunger-striking prisoners," as stated in court documents cited by multiple outlets.

Background of the Case

Lakanwal, an Afghan national who resided in Bellingham, Washington, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges in the November 2025 shooting that killed West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, as reported by the Associated Press, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, CP24, Hindustan Times, SFGATE, and WTOP.

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were deployed to Washington as part of President Donald Trump's law-enforcement surge in the nation's capital, which began last summer, according to reports. Prosecutors said Lakanwal ambushed the Guard members outside a subway station three blocks from the White House, as reported by multiple outlets.

A police report cited by all six outlets describes another National Guard member hearing gunshots and seeing Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground as Lakanwal fired a gun and screamed, "Allahu Akbar!" Lakanwal was shot during the confrontation and made his initial court appearance from a hospital bed last year, according to the reports.

Legal Arguments and Reactions

Defense attorney Shelli Peterson declined to elaborate Monday on Lakanwal's medical condition and care, as reported by multiple outlets. A spokesperson for S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office also declined to comment, and the Justice Department has not announced whether it will seek the death penalty, according to CP24.

In a redacted court filing, prosecutors wrote that Lakanwal has medical capacity to make determinations regarding his health and is refusing nutrition necessary to sustain his life, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Lakanwal's lawyers said he would oppose the government's request, noting that he has consumed some food, such as apple sauce, while hospitalized but has been "adamant at times" that he did not want to eat, according to the South China Morning Post.

"At this juncture, the government does not indicate that Mr. Lakanwal's condition is so dire as to require this Court's intervention and the provided medical records do not support that position," his lawyers wrote, as quoted by the South China Morning Post.