Gerard Stokes, a 31-year-old resident of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to felony assault on a police officer. The sentencing took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before Judge Errol Arthur.
The incident occurred on March 15, 2025, when Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were patrolling near 1442 U Street NW in Washington D.C. Officers observed a group loitering outside a gas station with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). As they approached, Stokes performed a wheelie and drove his ATV directly at two officers. He clipped one officer's shoulder and struck another head-on, dragging her under the ATV for about fifteen feet. The officer who was hit head-on suffered multiple lacerations to her head and face, as well as a concussion and fractured jaw.
Authorities identified Stokes through CCTV footage that showed his distinctive clothing, helmet, and blue ATV. He was arrested on August 16, 2025, and has remained in custody since then.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro commented on the sentencing: “Today, my office held accountable a criminal who attacked two Metropolitan Police Department officers by driving into them with his ATV. He will now spend 3 years behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The assault on any law enforcement officer will absolutely not be tolerated and my office will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who commit these violent, egregious attacks.”
Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined Pirro in announcing the sentence. Both officials commended MPD investigators and acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kadian Carter and Maggie Sullivan for their roles in prosecuting the case.
Stokes' sentence includes three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
