Dion Zellars, a 35-year-old resident of Baltimore, Maryland, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge. This is part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative aims to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia, with a focus on tackling gun violence and enforcing stricter penalties for firearms violations. Zellars faces one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
According to court records, the incident occurred on March 20, 2025. On that day, officers from the MPD's Crime Suppression Team recovered a firearm after a foot chase in Southeast Washington. Officers patrolling the 4200 block of Southern Avenue, Southeast, noticed a group of individuals, from which Zellars separated upon sighting the patrol cruiser. His behavior aroused suspicion as he attempted to conceal himself behind a parked SUV.
As officers moved in to investigate, Zellars pretended to speak on a phone and clutched an item at his waistband before fleeing. During the ensuing chase, officers observed him discarding a black firearm into a backyard. Zellars was apprehended shortly afterward in a neighboring property. The discarded item was retrieved and identified as a Glock.
Due to prior felony convictions, Zellars is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The ATF Washington Field Office and the MPD are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lawrence Barclay is in charge of prosecuting the case.
An indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
