Particle.news

Download on the App Store

After Triple Grand Jury Rejection, D.C. Prosecutors Downgrade FBI Assault Case to Misdemeanor

The case now proceeds as a misdemeanor, reflecting grand jurors’ rare rejection of felony charges despite the low probable-cause bar.

FILE - The Department of Justice seal is seen during a news conference at the DOJ office in Washington, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Image
FBI agents gather in front of a Metro Transit Police van near the Anacostia bus station, after U.S. President Donald Trump deployed U.S. National Guard troops to Washington and ordered an increase in the presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington, as President Donald Trump looks on. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Overview

  • Prosecutors disclosed that three separate federal grand juries in Washington returned no true bills on a proposed felony assault charge against Sydney Reid, then filed a misdemeanor information under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) within the 30-day window.
  • The alleged July 22 incident occurred outside the D.C. jail during an ICE/FBI transfer, with charging documents asserting Reid pushed an FBI agent’s hand against a cement wall, causing lacerations, while a magistrate judge had earlier found probable cause for a felony.
  • Reid’s defense attorneys praised the grand juries’ decisions and said they look forward to trying the misdemeanor case before a petit jury to clear her name.
  • A hearing before Magistrate Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan is set for Thursday morning, with the downgraded case now able to proceed without grand-jury approval.
  • The outcome underscores scrutiny of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s tougher charging approach in D.C., with reporters also noting a separate failure to secure a felony indictment in the high-profile Sean Dunn sandwich-throwing case.